God and the Victim

Abstract

AbstractHow does severe interpersonal harm affect our freedom and the ways in which we relate to ourselves, others, and God? God and the Victim addresses the challenges that trauma and feminist theory pose to cherished theological convictions about human freedom and divine grace. Overall, the Christian tradition has held that a person's response to God's grace is not entirely vulnerable to earthly contingencies: interpersonal harm, however severe, cannot separate one from the grace of God and from the power to love others. Does this longstanding belief remain credible, however, in light of social scientific research on the insidious effects of interpersonal violence? Should we not consider more carefully the possibility that individuals can harm one another to such an extent that the other's capacity to respond to God's grace is severely diminished, if not altogether destroyed?Drawing on insights present in feminist and trauma theory, this book articulates a revised Rahnerian theology of freedom and grace responsive to trauma survivors in need of healing. Such a revised theology of freedom and grace is marked most distinctively by two claims: (1) human freedom to respond to God's grace can possibly be destroyed by severe interpersonal harm, and (2) divine grace is mediated at least in part through loving interpersonal relations. This book argues that survivors' experiences of both interpersonal harm and support offer crucial insights that shed light on God's grace and human freedom. Ultimately, such insights promise profound ethical implications, altering our perceptions of the obligations we have toward one another.