The Burden of Proof, The Power to Claim: Glimpsing Community in “Post” Traumatic Theological Reconstruction

Abstract: In response to cursory and idealistic calls for community in feminist theology and trauma literature, the author discerns manifestations of true community walking alongside survivors in the meaning-making process. Drawing from her own experiences, she describes the ways members of true community engage with chaos, themselves, wisdom, and integrity, which each have a role in supporting survivors of trauma in their theological reconstruction. Due to the complexity of trauma and relationships, manifestations of support are often challenging to identify in one’s own life and imperfectly embodied. Addressed to those directly impacted by shattered meaning, the article seeks to offer a guiding tool for the complex reconstruction journey that follows traumatic experiences. Amid dialectic tensions between feminist values, the discernment of true community helps distinguish true support from those who limit the scope of their engagement, which provides individuals with agency in claiming their support network.