Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti-State.
The interpretation of Scripture within violent and conflict-ridden societies requires a fresh hermeneutical lens that addresses the lived realities of trauma. This paper explores ‘Trauma Hermeneutics and the Bible in Violent Contexts’ under the broader theme ‘Arts and Humanities in the Changing World’. Trauma hermeneutics provides an interpretive framework that acknowledges the psychological, communal, and spiritual wounds inflicted by violence while seeking healing resources in biblical texts. Drawing on Shelly Rambo’s theological reflections on trauma and Kathleen O’Connor’s insights into the Bible’s testimony of suffering, this study situates biblical interpretation within the frameworks of trauma theory and postcolonial critique. The approach highlights how narratives such as Lamentations, Psalms of lament, and post-exilic texts speak directly into contemporary experiences of displacement, oppression and communal fracture. By integrating insights from trauma studies, biblical hermeneutics is re-imagined not only as a scholarly exercise but also as a pastoral and socio-political practice of resilience and survival. The paper argues that trauma hermeneutics equips interpreters to recognize silenced voices, embrace fragmented testimonies, and facilitate healing-centered readings that respond to cycles of violence in Africa and beyond. In doing so, the Bible becomes a dialogical partner in reconstructing communal identity and hope amidst devastation. Thus, trauma hermeneutics demonstrates the relevance of the arts and humanities in interpreting sacred texts for transformative engagement in a changing, violence-stricken world.
Trauma Hermeneutics, Violence, Biblical Interpretation, Healing and Resilience
