From Trauma-Informed Homiletics to Combat Homiletics

Sacred speech1 has the power to shape a community's character, convictions, and resolve.It can shape a community's identity through a steady trickle of consistent messaging over time.It can also forge or destroy a community in an instant.These moments of vulnerability demonstrate the power of sacred speech particularly in response to tragedy.Religious leaders bear this responsibility as they respond to communities in crisis through their words in collective settings.Kimberly Wagner describes this challenge best in her book Fractured Ground when she points out that "these crisis sermons . . .among the very most important that we preach, are also those for which we have the least amount of experience, skill, and preparation time. . . .If that's not hard enough, there is no formula for creating a perfect message on these occasions."2 In response to this challenge, trauma-informed homiletics is an emerging field of study that seeks to equip religious leaders as they prepare to deliver trauma-responsive sacred speech.In this essay, I will discuss the importance of the field of trauma-informed homiletics for chaplains while suggesting that further exploration and research is necessary to equip military chaplains for war. Trauma-Informed HomileticsTrauma-informed homiletics emerged within the last six years in response to the rise of civil unrest, shootings in places of worship, and the COVID-19 pandemic.There are three main books that fit squarely in this field of study.The first is Joni Sancken's Words that Heal: Preaching Hope to Wounded Souls which was published in 2019.3 This book builds on trauma theory to introduce the field of trauma-informed homiletics.Sancken discusses soul wounds and trauma theory to argue that trauma-informed theology can be a source of hope for sacred speech.The second book is Sarah Travis's Chaplain (Major) Daniel Werho Chaplain (Major) Daniel Werho assessed onto active duty as a chaplain in 2012.