You Tube Theology

Dr Karen O’Donnell - Trauma Theology is a Feminist Issue
Trauma Theology is a rare field within the study of Christian Theology in that it is founded in the work of women and women continue to lead the field of research. Why is that? Trauma is connected to power and powerlessness, to systems of oppression, to the overwhelm of ordinary coping mechanisms, and to the body. Given the long history of women's oppression, both within and outside of the Church, often facilitated by theology, I make the case that Trauma Theology is a feminist issue - that is, it's no wonder that women's voices have dominated this field of work, our experiences, our bodies, and our theologies have been desperate for it.

Dr Karen O'Donnell is a theologian with particular interests in the ways in which bodies intersect with theologies. This has led to work in trauma and feminist theologies with an emphasis on women's bodies. Her most recent publications include a co-edited volume Pregnancy and Birth: Critical Theological Conceptions (SCM Press, 2024) and Survival: Radical Spiritual Practices for Trauma Survivors (SCM Press, 2024). Karen is Academic Dean at Westcott House, Cambridge and Associate Lecturer in Gender and Theology in the Divinity Faculty, Cambridge University, UK.