Trauma studies have come into their own in the last decade, moving first from the academy to therapist offices, and now finally permeating popular culture. Creativity, Theology, and Posttraumatic Growth: The Sacred Impulse of Play and Transformation Out of Tragedy is a recent addition to the conversation in which Dustin Risser argues for a holistic approach to healing that integrates creativity, Christian theology, and modern trauma theory. In this interdisciplinary work, Riser centers creativity within a theological and psychological framework, aiming to strengthen the connection between faith and psychology in order to offer a model of recovery for Christian communities and clinicians.
Risser lays the foundation of his model around three topics: the role of play in human development (8-43), creativity as a theological theme of liberation (44-67), and the question of how Post Traumatic Growth (PTG) sits within the latest trauma research (68). He covers familiar ground in the area of play and creativity and their connection to the treatment of trauma, centering the work of noted thinkers such as D.W. Winnicott, Judith Herman, Bessel van der Kolk, Richard Tedeschi, and Lawrence Calhoun. Risser’s work builds on current research demonstrating that creativity is an effective tool for trauma recovery by arguing that it can also be a catalyst for PTG. Most compelling is his discussion of the five domains of PTG: new possibilities, relating to others, personal strength, spiritual change, and appreciation for life (80). One notices how these five distinct domains correspond well to the stages of safety, grief, and reconnection outlined by trauma researcher Judith Herman.
The strength of Risser’s work is in his integration of theology into the ongoing conversation around play and trauma, which offers a new way for Christian clinicians and church communities to think about their approach and posture to individuals with trauma. To move toward this integration, he utilizes an integrative psychological reading of scripture that is very compelling (47). Risser highlights parallels between God’s creativity (as evidenced in the creation story) and the human capacity for creativity (as understood by human development theory). This connection serves as a mark of the imago Dei (image of God) in which humans are created. Turning to theologians such as Jürgen Moltmann and Walter Brueggemann, Risser calls for uniting psychology and theology as a way to offer greater transformation and a more accurate picture of God’s goodness in the world. He specifically highlights Moltmann's theology of play, which gives us a “creative vitality” from which liberation can flow (55). It is this transformation and renewal that is at the core of the “good news” of Christianity.
Risser brings something truly fresh in the section “Creativity, Community, and Trauma,” where he builds on the importance of containment and safety in the recovery process (62-63), both of which are crucial to Winnicott and Herman’s ideas of recovery. Here, “containment” refers to practitioners and leaders creating environments that can “hold" what comes up for trauma survivors, including strong feelings and emotions. Risser affirms how creative play serves as a way to connect to the true self and how within healthy environments, containment provides the freedom for play to occur, which then leads to agency. This is where Risser gives a beautiful vision of how the Church might become “good enough holding environments” where “the true self may be able to flourish while the false self is allowed to recede, and channels of joy and bodily pleasure are able to be experienced anew” (13).
Risser’s strong analysis falls short in one area. Once he has laid out his arguments, the task of moving towards a model stays theoretical. Because this book will likely be used in a practical way by Christians, it could be strengthened by more specific attention to how communities might do better at becoming containers for healing. I am left wondering how we move from defining what we should do to actually making something happen. This is important because as trauma theologians have pointed out, the Church has a poor track record of how it handles pain. Shelly Rambo argues that there is often a theological silence associated with the Christian response to trauma that springs from a discomfort for messiness, doubt that the good news can actually offer relief, and a happily-ever-after eschatology. This eschaton serves as an escape of sorts, from both our own discomfort and our responsibility to one another. Risser gives one sentence to this obstacle but does not flesh it out.
Creativity, Theology, and Posttraumatic Growth is written in academic language and will be useful for researchers, especially those engaged in theological conversations where the literature is still growing. His connections are solid and compelling, yet until Christians figure out how to actually be the kind of communities that can hold pain, it remains theoretical. Still, this book will be beneficial in the hands of Christian leaders and congregations as both a rationale for the integration of psychology, theology, and creativity, and as a call to expand their idea of care and what it means to truly offer good news. While Risser does not provide a formulaic model, his ideas can serve as a starting point for leaders to wrestle with how their churches can be a more liberative presence in a world full of trauma.
Beth Alford is a master’s student of theology and culture at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology.
Beth Alford
Date Of Review:
March 28, 2023