A Synthesis from the Corner
A reflection on theology & trauma from the corners of Colin Gunton’s Theology
This term, the four of us gathered in corners of the building to explore and struggle for integration from the fringes of theology and trauma. These peripheral spaces are often wordless, injured and desolate places. Yet, through our presence and conversation, theology and trauma began to integrate. What follows is a brief compilation of where our conversations took us.
Our reading group studied Colin Gunton’s Introduction to Systematic Theology The Christian Faith and Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score. Gunton’s theological foundation starts with the trinitarian model of relationship that models both unique particularity and mutuality. Gunton’s theological model is deeply embodied in a human sense. The trinity models such relationship precisely that we should embody the trinitarian example. Gunton writes:
Bodies are those dimensions of our persons by and through which we relate to other human beings and the world. What we do in and with the body forms and anticipates what we shall be. (131)
Theologically, Gunton’s understanding of the body is that it should act in agency with the Holy Spirit The spirit is agency in the world (Gunton). The Spirit is God’s agency in creation, and it is our agency to partner with God. We do everything including prayer and participate in community through the agency of the Holy Spirit.
Here is where we clearly intersected Kolk’s language of the body, and the integration of trauma language. Kolk talked about the ‘central’ autonomic nervous system (The mohawk of self awareness) which allows us to regulate and connect with our bodies. Trauma disrupts our self awareness, our language, and our ability to be rational.
Theologically, if the body of the church, made up of many individual bodies are not in connection with the mind of Christ through the spirit, the body cannot act within a ‘self, centred in God’ Where humans are not connected to the spirit as their agency in the world, relationship breaks and trauma occurs — both personally and interpersonally.
Perhaps, the clearest point of integration is seen in this reflection from one of our group members:
I wonder how the Holy Spirit can be a part of my embodied listening. I wonder how the body of Christ can learn to listen in embodied ways, and how this might fulfil the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2). This much is true: the body speaks and it longs to be heard. I wonder if we have the ears to hear it.
Our time in Colin’s Corner was formative. We discussed trauma and the body’s secret, and often ineffable, language; how our bodies are always calling out to be heard and tended to. So often when broaching topics of trauma and the body I retreat from my own embodied experience and speak from my rational left-brain. I speak about the body without experiencing it in the present. This time I tried listening.
Each time I attended the discussion I attempted to listen first to what my body was saying before speaking. It was painful and awkward. My words came slowly and sometimes not at all. As I listened to my body, I found many voices therein. I long to be heard and understood and I fear that it will never happen. I desire, paradoxically, to be seen in my hurt and to hide it from others. I sense the many sorrows and joys of those around me. I learned that talking about embodied-ness with others is very different than experiencing my body in the presence of others.
I wonder how the Holy Spirit can be a part of my embodied listening. I wonder how the body of Christ can learn to listen in embodied ways, and how this might fulfil the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2).
This much is true: the body speaks and it longs to be heard. I wonder if we have the ears to hear it.
