Trauma-Informed Church Kid

Humanity is firmly planted in the Garden, but why is there a serpent there? Is this a divine setup? Who or what is this serpent figure, anyway? Why would God put a tree there that they couldn't eat from? And what is the deal with the Tree of Life? Is humanity created to be mortal, immortal, or something else?Today, I take a closer look at all these questions out of the first portion of Genesis 3, and attempt to give some responses that don't hurt either your head or your heart. Article about elohim/the gods (Fr. Stephen DeYoung)
Article about s/Satan and the serpent (Dr. Michael Heiser)
Against Heresies (Irenaeus)
Against Autolycus (Theophilus of Antioch)
Tree of Life video (Bible Project)

Today, I sit down for tea with biblical scholar Dr. Carmen Imes to discuss the image of God, male and female, the importance of our bodies and embodiedness to our identity and resurrection, diverse embodiment and disability, the ways in which trauma is felt (and healed) in our bodies, and how to approach the Old Testament in a trauma-informed way.See Dr. Imes' bio HERE
See Dr. Imes' author page on Amazon HERE
See an article she wrote about creating a trauma-informed classroom HERE

How has the Church treated LGBTQ+ folks? What should our responsibilities and duties be to the vulnerable and the hurting? What does it look like to love others, even when we disagree with them? How can we "become the gospel" to a world that sorely needs to hear good news? 
 
In this bonus mini-episode, I speak only to my Christian brothers and sisters. I take a look at how "male and female he created them" in Genesis 1-2 has been used to cause harm, and what we might be able to do to begin a long repentance. 
 
Spencer's Sermon on John 8

How should we think about the fact that there are two creation accounts? What does it mean to be the image of God? Are humans to be servants of Adonai, or something else? Are men and women images in the same way? And what do we do with the fact that women are created second, and "from man"? Does the Bible teach that bodies are bad, and naked bodies are particularly bad?
 
In this episode, we take a closer look at Genesis 2, and walk through how the Hebrew narrative subverts some problematic views of humanity, gender, rulership, and nakedness. This Genesis 2 narrative gives us a glimpse of theology that doesn't hurt -- one that affirms the value of women, that pictures a different kind of ruling over creation, and that views bodies as good. Come join us on the journey of reconstructing religion.Resources for Further Study:
Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters (Carmen Imes)The Lost World of Adam and Eve (John Walton)
Dr. Imes' article on <ezer> (Christianity Today)
Bible Project Classroom series (Adam to Noah)

What does it mean to say that God created everything? What about all those other creation myths that look a lot like Genesis 1? What do each of the "days" of creation mean? What does it mean to be human, and what does it mean to "rule and subdue" creation? Besides, why does it all matter -- isn't this world just doomed to destruction, and isn't everything about this world "bad"? How in the world can Christians seriously call creation "good", given all the ways they have undermined its supposed "goodness"?
 
In this episode, we take a closer look at Genesis 1, and walk through how the Hebrew narrative subverts the ancient near east way of understanding the Most High God, the gods, creation, being, images, and humanity. This Genesis 1 narrative gives us a glimpse of theology that doesn't hurt -- one that affirms the glorious vocation of humanity, displays a very different kind of God than the pagan nations, and which loudly proclaims that everything he creates is good. Come join us on the journey of reconstructing religion.
 
Resources for further study:
The Lost World of Genesis One (John Walton)
Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters (Carmen Imes)
The Biblical Cosmos: A Pilgrim's Guide to the Weird and Wonderful World of the Bible (Robin A. Parry)
Rediscovering the Goodness of Creation: A Manual for Recovering Gnostics (Robin Phillips)

The very first full episode of the Trauma-Informed Church Kid podcast! This is audio edited from our live launch party on social media. If you like what you hear, please subscribe on your preferred podcast platform and take a brief moment to give a 5-star review.In this episode, I cover why this podcast exists, what spiritual trauma and religious abuse is, and what content I will cover over the course of our journey together. I hope you will join me on the journey of discovering resurrection on the other side of deconstruction.
 
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Come join us on a journey of reconstructing religion for the hurting, with theology that doesn't hurt