Studying Reading Trauma in the Book of Jeremiah

Content Note: This subject engages with themes of trauma, exile, and divine violence as explored in the Book of Jeremiah. While approached with care and scholarly sensitivity, some material may be emotionally challenging for readers with lived experiences of trauma.

In today’s world, where so many people carry stories of loss, displacement, and resilience, the ancient voices of scripture can offer surprising comfort and insight. The Book of Jeremiah, often seen as dense and difficult, comes alive in this subject as a deeply human and emotionally rich response to trauma. “Reading Trauma in the Book of Jeremiah” is more than a study of a prophetic text—it’s an invitation to walk alongside a community in crisis and to explore how sacred literature can help us make sense of suffering.

This unit opens up Jeremiah’s world—a world shattered by invasion, exile, and divine silence—and asks how trauma shapes both the message and the messenger. Through the lens of trauma theory, students explore how Jeremiah’s laments, sermons, and symbolic acts reflect the pain of a people searching for meaning in the aftermath of catastrophe. These ancient texts become not just historical artifacts, but living conversations about grief, identity, and hope.

This subject is for those who want to ask hard questions and wrestle with complex truths. How do we understand divine violence in sacred texts? What does exile teach us about belonging? Can ancient scripture offer hope to fractured communities today? Through thoughtful study and reflection, students gain not only exegetical skills but also a deeper sense of how theology can respond to trauma with compassion and insight.

For anyone seeking a meaningful, relevant, and intellectually rich engagement with the Bible, this unit offers a rare opportunity to explore the prophetic imagination in the face of suffering—and to discover how Jeremiah’s voice still speaks to the heart of human pain and resilience.

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Subject - Reading Trauma in the Book of Jeremiah (BA3520T/ BN9520T) — Saint Francis College


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