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Cover of Trauma and Transformation at Ground Zero

Trauma and Transformation at Ground Zero

A Pastoral Theology

  • Counseling, Grief & Mental Health
  • Publisher: Fortress Press (Augsburg Fortress)
  • Published: 2011

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Publisher's Description

From personal interviews with chaplains at the temporary mortuary at Ground Zero and her own experiences as an Episcopal priest, psychotherapist, and chaplain, Storm Swain offers a new model of pastoral care grounded in theology and practice. Reflecting on experiences of suffering faced in ministry, Swain considers what it means to love in these instances and what is involved in ministering in these contexts. Within this model, caregivers can move from a place of trauma to a place of transformation, which enables wholeness and healing for both caregivers and those for whom they care.


Endorsements (2)

“Swain models a fresh and intelligent theological hermeneutic that is applicable to situations of horrific disaster and loss of life, offering an applied reading of Christ as the Earth maker, Pain bearer, and Life giver, carefully grounded in psychological insight. As our world seems increasingly shattered by heart–rending events that can shake our faith, Swain's book offers a deep richness of understanding and solid theological interpretation.”

Philip Culbertson

“Trauma and Transformation at Ground Zero is a stunning book! Part ethnography, part practical theology, Storm Swain has offered a moving and powerfully written reflection on the soul–wrenching work of chaplaincy in the midst of disaster and in the aftermath of great evil, and on the challenges to those who minister at the extreme edges of shock and grief. Drawing from the New Zealand Prayerbook, Swain has developed a trinitarian theology for pastoral care that not only undergirds responses to trauma, but offers a foundation for all pastoral care. A profound 'must–read' for all who minister and all who offer care.”

The Rev. Pamela Cooper–White

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