A Concubine’s Rape, an Apostle’s Flight, and a Nation’s Reconciliation

Abstract

Abstract This article applies collective trauma theory to biblical interpretation in order to respond to a 21st-century humanitarian crisis. Utilizing recent advances in social-scientific theory, the article examines how the books of Judges and the Acts of the Apostles can function in distinct and complementary fashions as “collective trauma narratives.” Judges 19-21 is interpreted as narrating the Levite’s “polarizing” trauma narrative and subverting it with a reconciling narrative. Acts 6-8 and 12 are also examined as trauma narratives speaking to the loss of early Christian leaders, promoting a vision of forgiveness and hope of divine justice. The article applies trauma theory to biblical interpretation for the purpose of addressing the armed conflict in Colombia. We propose that the theological visions of the trauma narratives of Judges and Acts (regarding forgiveness, resistance, flight, and reconciliation) are poignant for Colombian religious communities seeking peace and healing in the wake of violence and displacement.