Spirit and Trauma: A Theology of Remaining
Shelly Rambo, Catherine Keller (Foreword)
3.99
237 ratings18 reviews
Rambo draws on contemporary studies in trauma to rethink a central claim of the Christian faith: that new life arises from death. Reexamining the narrative of the death and resurrection of Jesus from the middle day--liturgically named as Holy Saturday--she seeks a theology that addresses the experience of living in the aftermath of trauma. Through a reinterpretation of "remaining" in the Johannine Gospel, she proposes a new theology of the Spirit that challenges traditional conceptions of redemption. Offered, in its place, is a vision of the Spirit's witness from within the depths of human suffering to the persistence of divine love.
GenresTheologyPsychologyNonfictionSpiritualityReligionChristianChristianity
200 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2010
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3.99
237 ratings18 reviews
Kate Davis
602 reviews54 followers
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November 25, 2017
Rambo creates a truly trauma-informed theology. No, it's better than that: she reveals the ways that Christian scripture have always been steeped in trauma, and that hermeneutics is a way of processing and responding to trauma. She moves beyond "Christus victor" -- Christ's victory over death -- into a theology of the cross that actually wrestles with death and what it means to watch your God die. She invites us into the post-trauma reality of Holy Saturday, and shows that this reality doesn't go away just because resurrection occurs; indeed, it can't go away because of the effects of trauma.
Highly recommend for anyone harmed or neglected by the church's abuse of power or its insistence that all things be happy -- you will find healing here, and a God who makes sense even in pain.
I recommend it even more highly if you're in church leadership. Even if you don't think you've been traumatized (which...read Serene Jones's Trauma & Grace after this one), this will help form your theology for those who have. Which, let's be honest, is the majority of people coming into a church who aren't just there for the social norm/country club game of it.
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Nicole Cober-Lake
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January 1, 2022
Shelly Rambo's project in *Spirit and Trauma* is a worthy one: she seeks to articulate a theology that will move beyond traditional Christian narratives of the straightforward triumph of life over death in order to account for traumatic experience and the ways in which its aftermath disrupts that opposition. To do so, she wants to reclaim Holy Saturday, the gap between crucifixion and resurrection, as a space for a theology of the middle. She usefully points out that on Saturday the disciples did not yet understand that Christ would rise, so it was not at all clear that there was a way forward in the wake of His death. Yet Rambo is able to trace some movements of hope even in the midst of suffering, a hope she links to the work of the Holy Spirit. By shifting theology's focus from Christ to Spirit, she reorients us toward that which remains in the wake of disaster, and for her, that remainder is love. Not a triumphant love, she is careful to remind us, but a weary love that was not able to be exhausted even by death. Rambo's final move is to link this remaining to Jesus's exhortation to his disciples in the book of John to "abide in me" and "remain in my love." Through readings of the passion account that center on the handing of Jesus's final breath over to the witnesses at the cross, she connects the persistence of love to the mission of Christ's followers. In the aftermath of the cross, empowered by the love that remains, we are to live in a new way. Life cannot be the same after a traumatic loss, but it can be renewed.
The strength of Rambo's theological construction lies in her sensitivity to the pain of trauma survivors and all those who have suffered. The church is not always good at making space for grief or lament. Rather than sitting with others in their pain, many Christians rush them from crucifixion to resurrection. An over-emphasis on the triumph of life over death can feel hollow when there has been significant loss, especially in the context of trauma, which can make it difficult for survivors to even begin to imagine a meaningful future. In this sense, Rambo's work demonstrates a pastoral heart and real-world implications for the church.
However, I found the academic apparatus of the book somewhat clumsy. Rambo grounds her argument in the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar and Adrienne Speyr, which relies heavily on spiritual visions of hell. Although some of Rambo's guiding images come from this work, it felt like an unstable basis for me personally. While she attempts to trace some of these images in the gospel of John, I found her close readings to be a reach in some cases, and only tangentially related to the main argument in others. Furthermore, the argument itself was quite repetitive. It would perhaps have been more suited to a long article than to a book-length treatment.
I was also left with a few theological questions. While Rambo successfully convinces readers that a view from the middle is important, she doesn't really address the meaning of the resurrection. Granted that Christ's victory gets plenty of pages in theology books, Rambo is so concerned with the elision of Holy Saturday that her work ends up eliding Easter Sunday. Though we do suffer, and though our suffering should not be minimized or rushed in any way, and though our healing on this earth may not always be complete, Jesus nevertheless does promise us meaningful restoration in Him. While we may overlook Holy Saturday at our peril, we aren't meant to get stuck there.
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AJ Nolan
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April 2, 2018
Dense but good read on a Holy Saturday reading/view of trauma.
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David
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September 11, 2020
It seems fitting to have finished this book on 9/11, because Shelly Rambo makes such a compelling case for how the Spirit addresses is with a breath of love in the experience of trauma. On this September 11th anniversary, our recall of the violence and tragedy of that day is traumatically now intertwined with the loss of 63x the loss of life in the United States (which is less than a quarter of deaths around the world) due to the coronavirus and its sordid, irresponsible mismanagement.
In this thoughtful, provocative book Rambo calls us away from the easy straight line rush from easy grace that cheapens the Good News represented by the Easter message. Rambo rightly critiques the church for resolving the trauma of what follows Good Friday with our insensitive and unimaginative skip to all is well because of Jesus’ resurrection. She compares the experience of those who, on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, relive the broken emptiness of their friend’s death. She teases out the lost loneliness of the Jesus’ followers as parallel to the traumas that are experienced in our present times. Then, she moves the reader to look for the promised Holy Spirit, that redeems the traumatizes not with dramatic miracle but with breath and love. It’s a fascinating theological move and helpful as we consider how we can find similar help as we endure the traumas of disease, violence, racism and divisions at present.
While highly appreciating the book, I also believe that the author overly uses theological jargon and ends up sounding repetitive. I would have liked to have her relate her presentations to present situations as she drew out the significance of seeing the world through lenses of Holy Saturday and what it means to “remain,” by the persistence of redemptive love. I live near a retreat center for soldiers who suffer from PTSD. How might the ideas of the book work in their treatment? Rambo makes reference to large social concerns regarding race and gender. I would have liked to see her ideas applied in real cases instead of her larger generalizations and theory. Certainly, her vision was to present a theological thesis, which she does well. Because her end is to lift up flourishing as an alternative to our more hackneyed ideas of salvation, such practical applications seem more urgently necessary.
There is much to gain from this book, but it also begs further working.
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Catherine
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January 11, 2021
“Holy Saturday provides a vocabulary consonant with the experience of a survivor. It is a place of alienation, confusion, and godforsakenness. But it is also a place that is continually covered over, dismissed, rendered unintelligible, and therefore subsumed under operative narratives of the progression of death to life.”
It is appropriate that I don’t fully agree or resonate with Rambo’s conclusions, but what happens in the middle of this book is life-changing. I read this over the course of a year because if I think about Holy Saturday for more than 30 seconds at a time, I need to lie down. I learned so much about God here. I will be thinking about this book forever.
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Philip
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September 14, 2016
It had so much potential, and even insight (Holy Saturday), but was fatally marred by process theology, a need for heterodox innovation, and "edginess." Only the perspective of trauma and a few minor insights prevented the book from being a total bomb; its best feature has been giving me a new lens of application to go re-read Moltmann.
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Nate Pequette
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October 1, 2020
There is a lot to wrestle with here theologically. And I will be thinking and pondering this one for awhile I think. I wrestle because it is a new way of reading about redemption. Redemption from the middle of trauma. It is not a recovery but a redemption of remaining in God's love after the death in traumatized. God's spirit of love helps us to remain. The Spirit remains and speaks to the depths of the often unspeakable disoriented reality of what comes after trauma. I have been on a bit of a journey of understanding the theology that I grew up with or the theology of my adult life and weather it actually speaks to the reality of lived experience. How does the reality of a broken world and broken people meet the God of our theology? Have I understood the God of the bible correctly? Do I have just a victorious God that heals the world? But I don't see this in our world all the time. What is our role in this as a people of God? And I think while true, I am tired of saying well I guess God is just a mystery. So I have been saying for a little while that I can either say well, I guess there is no God or maybe the God I have isn't the actual God and I need to dive deeper into the story of God. I have chosen the later. I think this book was a book that helped me to imagine a theology that matches lived experience. I will wrestle with how she gets there. But it will be a good wrestling. And I will continue to wrestle with books like this in hopes of coming to a new understanding of what kind of God we actually have in the Bible that deeply involves out lived experience. Yes, God is a mystery and we can never truly know exactly all the layers of who God is. But God is a God who remains in love in our often shattered lives. I will to continue to dig and wrestle into these depths.
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Drick
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October 9, 2021
Reflecting on the theology of Von Balthasar regarding Holy Saturday, Rambo develops a theology of the middle to help understand the experience of trauma which she describes life that carries death with it. Overall, I found the book overly abstract, and hard to follow. The theological dialogue in which she engages is one I was not equipped to follow. So I ended up skimming the last couple chapters
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ben adam
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March 31, 2018
If you like jargon, complicated arguments, Theology, and trauma, this book is absolutely incredible. It is amazing. It will now inform everything I ever read from this point forward.
If you like writings that are clear without being overly redundant, use simple terms, and are not thick with references, this may not be the book for you.
It is a difficult read, but its ideas are brilliant.
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From the United States
Windchill-06
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is excellent.
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2019
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I really, really, really enjoyed this book. Shelly did a great job of helping me to see and break up my own theologically conservative presuppositions not just about death but in general. This book was particularly helpful in this season of my walk because of my recent severance with a church that I was committed to but left due to racially insensitive things I saw playing out. This book has helped me to renew my perspective in regards to this event from a redemptive one to a remainingn one, which I would argue is truly more biblical. Buy, read and study this book. You will be glad that you did.
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Margaret hill
5.0 out of 5 stars Healing trauma
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2024
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Great
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D. W. Cottrell
4.0 out of 5 stars Provocative
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2015
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Rambo brings to light an obscure Catholic theologian with provocative thoughts on surviving trauma. She vaults over thoughts about navigating smoothly through any horrible events. My hesitation with her work was the progress of thought that felt, to me, like it left the trauma reflection and over-focused in the third-quarter on biblical/theological reflections. Never-the-less I would encourage pastors, counselors, and supporters of trauma victims to give this book some time...perhaps even investigating its references.
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Thomas Jay Oord
5.0 out of 5 stars I recommend this book
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2018
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Shelly Rambo address a long neglected subject: the theology of trauma. The problem of evil rightly asks why a loving and powerful God doesn't prevent genuine evil. It often fails to account for why that same God doesn't end ongoing trauma. Rambo uses leading trauma research and draws from theological resources to point toward hope in the midst of trauma. I recommend this book! Thomas Jay Oord
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Rev L
5.0 out of 5 stars amazing work
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2011
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Rambo takes on the ineffable topics of God and trauma in this book and does an amazing job of presenting one way to theologically process trauma for your congregation. She lifs up the power of Easter Saturday as a holy and sacred day of witnessing the timeless-ness of trauma and redemption.
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Jas
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Asset!!
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2018
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Amazing book I used in my CPE residency.
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nockielove
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2012
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this book is a great one and in spite i had to wait a while for it the wait was worth it.
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marymc
5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT. I've read it once and had to order ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2015
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EXCELLENT. I've read it once and had to order my own!!
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Rev. Dianne
3.0 out of 5 stars Print is so small I haven't read it
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2013
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Can I say more than that. I have heard it's a great book...but unusable. Very disappointed. I should have gotten Kindle edition if there was one.
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Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars Although not without some good ideas, it gets a bit prosaic and doesn’t ...
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2018
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Although not without some good ideas, it gets a bit prosaic and doesn’t seem to give much helpful insights in the end.
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ivan nicoletto
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2017
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Excellent book.
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Dorothy Prybylski
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2016
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Came in great shape.
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Stephen Roe
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2015
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Very pleased
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Sylvia Quaye
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2015
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great!
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Carole Selin
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is extremely useful for people who have suffered trauma
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2017
Format: Kindle
This is an insightful and well written book. This book is extremely useful for people who have suffered trauma, people who work with trauma victims and for people who think they don't know anyone who has suffered from trauma. A new way to study Scripture!
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Mary, Andover, UK
5.0 out of 5 stars ... role of the Holy Spirit when there is no easy remedy for evil and suffering- because it remains
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2015
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Profoundly insightful - a brave attempt to explore the role of the Holy Spirit when there is no easy remedy for evil and suffering- because it remains. I found it an inspiring spiritual resource.
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<성령과 트라우마: 남겨짐의 신학> 요약 및 평론
1. 요약: 죽음과 부활 사이, <남겨짐>의 자리에 대하여
셸리 람보의 <성령과 트라우마: 남겨짐의 신학>은 현대 심리학의 트라우마 이론과 기독교 전통의 성령론을 결합하여, 고난과 고통을 해석하는 새로운 신학적 틀을 제시한다. 저자는 전통적인 기독교 신학이 고난(금요일) 이후 곧바로 승리와 회복(일요일)으로 넘어가는 <부활의 승리주의>에 매몰되어 있다고 비판한다. 람보에 따르면, 트라우마 생존자들에게 고통은 과거의 사건으로 종결되지 않고 현재 속에 지속적으로 <남아 있는 것>이다.
성령론의 재구성: 중간 지대의 신학
람보는 성금요일(죽음)과 부활 주일(생명) 사이의 시간인 <성토요일>에 주목한다. 이 시기는 죽음이 지배하는 듯 보이지만 아직 생명이 도래하지 않은, 혼돈과 정체된 고통의 시간이다. 람보는 이 지옥 같은 <중간 지대>에서 활동하는 성령을 증언한다. 여기서 성령은 고통을 순식간에 치유하거나 제거하는 전능한 치료자가 아니라, 죽음의 심연 속에서도 생명의 끈을 놓지 않고 <함께 머무는 숨결(pneuma)>로 묘사된다.
트라우마의 비선형성과 증언
트라우마는 시간의 흐름을 파괴하며, 충격적인 과거를 현재의 경험 속으로 반복해서 불러온다. 람보는 발터 베냐민과 모리스 블랑쇼 등의 철학적 사유를 빌려, 트라우마 신학은 <치유>가 아닌 <증언>에 초점을 맞춰야 한다고 주장한다. 성령은 사라지지 않는 고통의 흔적들 사이를 연결하며, 생존자가 무너진 세계 속에서도 삶을 지속할 수 있게 하는 희박한 가능성의 근거가 된다.
사랑의 의미 변화
이 책에서 사랑은 고난을 극복하는 강력한 힘이 아니라, 부서진 존재 곁에 끝까지 <남아 있는 능력>으로 재정의된다. 하나님은 고난을 방관하는 타자가 아니라, 트라우마의 현장 속에서 생존자와 함께 신음하며 그들의 파편화된 삶을 지탱하는 존재다. 람보는 이를 통해 <남겨진 자들>을 위한 위로의 신학을 구축한다.
2. 평론: 승리주의 신학을 넘어선 <심연의 연대>
신학적 패러다임의 전환
셸리 람보의 작업은 현대 신학에서 매우 중요한 전환점을 제공한다. 전통 신학은 대개 고난을 <성장의 발판>이나 <신의 섭리>로 미화하려는 경향이 있었다. 그러나 이러한 태도는 실제 트라우마를 겪는 이들에게는 오히려 폭력이 될 수 있다. 람보는 고통을 성급하게 의미화하지 않고, 고통이 가진 <해소되지 않음>을 신학의 출발점으로 삼았다. 이는 고난을 도구화하지 않는 정직한 신학적 태도라 할 수 있다.
성령론의 탁월한 재해석
가장 돋보이는 지점은 성령을 <생명의 숨결>로 정의하면서도, 그것을 화려한 기적이나 열광적인 은사가 아닌 <희박한 생존의 흔적>으로 연결한 점이다. 성토요일의 그리스도가 지옥에 내려갔듯, 성령 또한 인간의 가장 어두운 심연에 머문다는 통찰은 트라우마 생존자들에게 실질적인 존재론적 위로를 전달한다. 이는 성령론을 형이상학적 영역에서 고통받는 육체의 영역으로 끌어내린 성과다.
비판적 성찰: 모호함과 실천적 한계
다만, 람보의 논의는 매우 철학적이고 상징적이어서 구체적인 공동체적 실천이나 치유의 단계에 대해서는 다소 모호한 태도를 취한다. <남아 있음> 자체가 가지는 신학적 숭고함은 인정되나, 극심한 트라우마 속에서 실질적인 구조와 사회적 정의를 갈구하는 이들에게는 이 <정적인 기다림>이 무기력하게 느껴질 여지가 있다. 또한, 성경적 텍스트를 트라우마 이론에 맞추어 다소 선택적으로 해석했다는 비판에서도 자유롭기 어렵다.
결론: 상처 입은 치유자를 위한 지침서
그럼에도 불구하고 <성령과 트라우마>는 현대 사회가 마주한 거대한 비극들(세월호, 팬데믹, 전쟁 등) 앞에서 신학이 어떤 언어를 가져야 하는지를 명확히 보여준다. 람보는 고통을 없애는 신이 아니라, 고통 속에서 함께 숨 쉬는 신을 보여줌으로써 기독교의 사랑이 도달해야 할 최종 목적지가 <승리>가 아닌 <연대>임을 증명했다. 이 책은 상처 입은 이들의 곁을 지키는 사역자들과, 자신의 깨진 삶 속에서 신의 부재를 경험하는 모든 이들에게 깊은 울림을 주는 수작이다.
세진님, 이 요약과 평론이 원하시는 깊이를 담고 있는지 모르겠네요. 혹시 이 책의 특정 장(Chapter)에 대해 더 자세한 분석이 필요하시거나, 다른 관련 도서와의 비교를 원하신다면 언제든 말씀해 주세요! 도와드릴까요?
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