‘Read the Bible through the
lens of trauma’
Naomi Dawson
Six hundred people from 32 countries and six
continents met online for this year’s ‘Church
as a Refuge’ conference. Among the themes
talked about were ‘reading the Bible through
the lens of trauma’. Naomi Dawson reports:
The ‘Church as a Refuge’ conference was
born out of a desire to help churches better
understand power, control and abuse within
the church. Jacqui Wright and Cliff Turner
(both health-care professionals) planned and
hosted the conference. This conference was
not just academic, but real, personal and tragic
for so many
involved. Having benefitted
from the teaching of Dr Dianne Langberg,
Jacqui wanted the wider church to benefit from her teaching too.
Russell Brand and the response of the Church: Where is our lament?
Russell Brand has been found guilty of rape. Among the many responses I’ve seen, there is one thing that has really troubled me.
Brand’s conversion to Christianity, and the response to it from Christian leaders, had always made me uncomfortable. His conversion came amid considerable controversy surrounding his alleged (at that point) treatment of women. I was particularly uncomfortable when photographs emerged of all-male Christian fraternities and groups seemingly welcoming him with open arms.