SPEAKING IN SIGNS

NARRATIVE AND TRAUMA IN PASTORAL THEOLOGY

Abstract

Narrative is often seen as the locus of a healing encounter between those who suffer and those who offer pastoral/spiritual care. Both canonical narrative theology, in which the story of Jesus gives meaning to all human stories, and constructive narrative theology, in which redemptive power rests in the human capacity for storytelling itself, can offer chaplains important theological and pastoral insights. But not all who suffer can find or create a narrative to fit them; not all who have experienced trauma can find words to tell their story. To respond to such a crisis in human narrative, we need to enable communication by means of image, symbol and metaphor, or even through learning to preserve a sacred and eloquent silence.