Theological and Spiritual Foundations for Trauma Healing in Ecumenism – An Antiochian Approach

This presentation presents an Antiochian approach on theology and spirituality for trauma healing and spiritual pastoral care.

The theological foundation of the Trauma-healing

In the Antiochian theology, trauma healing finds its foundation particularly in the economy of salvation and the incarnation of the only-begotten Son. Because since the incarnation, the human person has become the meeting place (lieu) for God and humanity, theology and anthropology. When the Son became "man" he was called "Emmanuel", God with us, to restore us to His image, and make us participants in the Trinitarian life (cf. 2 Pet 1:4). Jesus inaugurated his ministry by proclaiming the Kingdom (Word) and healing the sick persons who were brought to him (Action), as mentioned by Matthew and Mark in their gospels. Meanwhile, Luke reveals the divine Mercy, and John the image of the good shepherd (chap. 10), the one who loves His sheep and cares for them at all times. Thus, Jesus Christ, the divine "Thaumaturge," never merely sought to miraculously heal the body or soul, but intended to save the human person in all its entirety. Salvation is indeed of the whole being, covering all components of the person. According to the famous post-Chalcedonian theory of the 'communication of idioms,' everything within the human nature, that has been assumed by the divine nature, was saved. This eschatological background provides the theological and spiritual foundation for the healing of the body, mind, and memory of all trauma, and for the birth of the new man, in the image of the risen Christ.

 Antiochian Spirituality and Healing

In the spiritual heritage of Antioch, we can find a beautiful prayer on healing by St. Ephrem of Nisibis (4th century) of the Syriac tradition, from which this small paragraph is quoted: 

"Restore me, O Lord, and I will be healed! O Physician who alone is wise and merciful, I beg Your kindness: heal the wounds of my soul and enlighten the eyes of my spirit, so that I may understand my place in Your eternal plan! And if my heart and mind have been disfigured, let Your grace repair them, for it is like the true salt spoken of in Your Gospel."

In this Antiochian perspective, healing is the manifestation of God’s invisible love and Mercy, which restore in the wounded person the original image and dignity of the beloved child of God. Only love heals! God’s love is the royal path to divinization and participation in the divine life. In His ineffable love, He heals our body, our heart (also our feelings), and our entire humanity. In the Eastern Church, mystagogy, the intimate link between theology, Liturgy, and life, is a path to divinization through the sacraments and virtues. 

Thus, the Church's support for victims, for people affected by trauma and deep wounds, is only a reflection of Christ's love and the fulfillment of salvation in the reality of the world, hic et nunc (here and now). This requires attentive presence, deep listening, self-effacement so that the other persons can restore themselves, reclaim their life, rise again, and experience life in abundance. Pastors of the Church have the serious responsibility to continually inspire, in the hearts of the faithful, the impulse of life that allows them to grow in dignity until they reach the fullness of Christ’s life. 

Pastors and ministers in the Church must also train the entire People of God in this responsibility of healing, not only of the human person, but also of society and of the whole of Creation. They are the agents of salvation, accomplished once and for all (ephapax!), the actors of divinization in a materialistic and secularized world.

On the path to healing traumas within the Church, the greatest obstacle lies in the risk of religiosity or even superstition, which makes us believe that we can heal through a magic formula, by visiting shrines, or by donating money to a charitable cause… That is why the opportunity to benefit from the human sciences knowledge and experience does not compromise the salvation role of grace through the cross of Christ, but works for the well-being of the person, spiritually, mentally, and physically. 

Synodality, the royal road to healing on the path to unity

On the path to the restoration of full communion, the via synodalia is the path that God has chosen for His Church in Antioch. This path is the only way for Antioch to become once again the Church of God in the region, beyond geographical and canonical "territories". Giant steps have been taken over the past decades, like the creation of the MECC (Middle East Council of Church), ATIME (Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East), the meetings of Catholic and Orthodox patriarchs within the framework of the CPCO (Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the East), and the Charfeh pastoral agreements in 1996 on ecclesial identity, rejection of proselytism, and elaboration of a common catechesis for schools. Unfortunately, sometimes, the numerous initiatives like Kairos Palestine, We Choose Abundant Life, the Maronite Synod for Women, and many others run out of the ecclesial institutions. Most of these initiatives have attempted both a theological and geopolitical analysis, offer an opportunity for joint reflection and a unique voice on the Christian presence and challenges in the Middle East. All these initiatives call for refocusing all our care on the person, its dignity and freedom, on communities for their practical and vital needs. Today, the Churches of the Middle East, the Church of God in Antioch, have the mission of parrhesia, the prophetic courage to walk together and to contribute to healing the human person.

Gabriel Hachem