Religious Trauma: Queer Stories in Estrangement and Return

Abstract

This very statement is enough to silence conversation in some circles. To deal with this dilemma, Cooper-White offers concrete and usable tips for assessing a situation: when to stop the conversation, when to proceed with caution, when to go deeper. She reviews practices that facilitate empathetic listening, the fruit of her many years of teaching the skills of pastoral psychotherapy, and offers helpful suggestions for conversations with those whose views may be diametrically opposed to our own. Reviewing the psychological dynamics of ‘splitting’ and noting the temptation to turn conflictual issues into a cosmic battle between good and evil are helpful reminders as we attempt to talk across the divide. The Psychology of Christian Nationalism is useful not only to clinicians, but to pastoral theologians in the classroom and spiritual care specialists as well. It stands in the tradition of other books published in recent decades in the field of pastoral theology that embrace a vision of care and community that extends beyond individual concerns. It recognizes the role that structures play in harming individuals, couples, and families. Cooper-White provides not only an analysis of unjust structures, but as noted, identifies dialogue as a concrete solution to systemic problems. Whether addressing gender or sexuality, racism or white privilege, she brings to the discussion a deep understanding of gospel values infused with practical suggestions. Her understanding of congregational life, shaped by her lifelong membership in The Episcopal Church as well as her ordination in that denomination, gives her a particular window into the ethical and social dimensions of pastoral care. It sometimes happens that a book meets the moment with a kind of clarity, depth of research, and ring of truth that sets it apart. Rev. Dr. Pamela Cooper-White’s The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide is one of those books. It is an important text for the classroom and for all who are concerned with how we can speak with one another when it sometimes feels that we live in different worlds and speak different languages.