Testimony and Trauma

Christians are not immune to the trials and tragedies of human life--nor to the trauma suffered in their wake. In this book, Amanda Drury gives sensitive compassionate witness to three women she has accompanied through dark vales of terror and excruciating loss. She gives them the space and time--and the exquisite caring and attentiveness--that they need to grapple with personal tragedy in the light of their faith.

Dr. Drury makes palpable the urgent need for reviving the ancient meaning of religious testimony, while yet creating new forms for its contemporary practice. She writes in the tone of a confidential friend, walking alongside her reader, as she shares the unfolding story of her own learning about trauma. She argues persuasively that the church today needs to create safe spaces where people can find words to tell their stories and be recognized and received in the telling.

-- Deborah Hunsinger, Princeton Theological Seminary

Some scholars suggest that Jesus was conceived by means of rape. The Gospel of John records that Jesus was executed in front of his mother, the Beloved Disciple, and some other friends. Thus, the whole life and death of Jesus, in some sense, can be viewed in light of trauma. Yet, as Drury points out, the church has not adequately articulated, let alone put in practice, how to attend to the lived experiences of those who have experienced trauma. In this book, Drury movingly and sensitively explores troubling stories in search of what might heal profound suffering, including her own, thereby offering hope and guidance for the church.

-- Nathan Carlin, McGovern Medical School

This book gives me hope. Drury listens to traumas in ways that profoundly respect the experiences. She’s careful with the deep brokenness of Holy Saturday. And she shows how courageous communities—not afraid to get it wrong—may surround survivors with generous forms of holding.

-- Philip Browning Helsel, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Humble and honest, Drury invites readers into the long journey of pain and hope by respectfully recounting real human stories. Born up by a rich biblical, theological, and intellectual history, Testimony and Trauma serves as a wise and compassionate guide for those who have experienced trauma and those who would like to walk alongside friends who have.

-- Amy Peeler, Wheaton Col