Trauma and Restoration: A Theology of Trauma Engaging Herman Bavinck
type: CreativeWork
description: In this dissertation, I provide a theology of trauma engaging Herman Bavinck and argue that his holistic theological anthropology provides an orthodox framework for understanding trauma’s devastating effects on the whole human individual. Much of the literature on the interface of trauma and theology errs by employing “extratextual” frameworks that give priority to worldview assumptions outside of Scripture. By contrast, I develop a theology of trauma from above, which takes as its starting point divine revelation and seeks to understand trauma within the redemptive-historical metanarrative of Scripture. I demonstrate how Bavinck’s corpus provides the theological resources necessary to engage this contemporary theological-anthropological issue in a manner faithful to Scripture and historic Christian orthodoxy. Chapter 1 introduces the topic and underscores the importance of engaging trauma theologically due to the dominant therapeutic impulse that characterizes much contemporary discussion surrounding trauma. In chapter 2, I establish the necessity for a theology of trauma from above by lifting trauma out of the immanent frame and setting it properly within the Bible’s redemptive-historical theological framework. I survey contemporary definitions of trauma, outline its key features, and identify major deficiencies in contemporary understandings of trauma. I provide a theological definition of trauma as an alternative to inadequate definitions in the contemporary literature. Ultimately, I argue that trauma must be brought out of the immanent frame if it is to cohere with a biblical worldview. In chapter 3, I argue that Bavinck’s organic epistemology serves as a model for evangelical theologians engaged in doing a theology of trauma from above. First, I provide an exposition of Bavinck’s organic motif giving special consideration to his organic worldview and the relation of theology to the other sciences. Second, I provide a Bavinckian assessment of the foremost probl…
abstract: In this dissertation, I provide a theology of trauma engaging Herman Bavinck and argue that his holistic theological anthropology provides an orthodox framework for understanding trauma’s devastating effects on the whole human individual. Much of the literature on the interface of trauma and theology errs by employing “extratextual” frameworks that give priority to worldview assumptions outside of Scripture. By contrast, I develop a theology of trauma from above, which takes as its starting point divine revelation and seeks to understand trauma within the redemptive-historical metanarrative of Scripture. I demonstrate how Bavinck’s corpus provides the theological resources necessary to engage this contemporary theological-anthropological issue in a manner faithful to Scripture and historic Christian orthodoxy. Chapter 1 introduces the topic and underscores the importance of engaging trauma theologically due to the dominant therapeutic impulse that characterizes much contemporary discussion surrounding trauma. In chapter 2, I establish the necessity for a theology of trauma from above by lifting trauma out of the immanent frame and setting it properly within the Bible’s redemptive-historical theological framework. I survey contemporary definitions of trauma, outline its key features, and identify major deficiencies in contemporary understandings of trauma. I provide a theological definition of trauma as an alternative to inadequate definitions in the contemporary literature. Ultimately, I argue that trauma must be brought out of the immanent frame if it is to cohere with a biblical worldview. In chapter 3, I argue that Bavinck’s organic epistemology serves as a model for evangelical theologians engaged in doing a theology of trauma from above. First, I provide an exposition of Bavinck’s organic motif giving special consideration to his organic worldview and the relation of theology to the other sciences. Second, I provide a Bavinckian assessment of the foremost probl…
author: Lewis, Aaron Micah
language: en_US
date published: 2026-05
date modified: 2026-07-27T21:05:57Z
provider: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/10392/7648