O’Donnell: Alternative Vista to the Contemporary Discussions About Trauma and the Eucharist
Trauma is far more than an acute event; it is, as Shelly Rambo put it, ‘an event that continues, that persists in the present’, and it has lasting ramifications. In particular, ‘it persists in symptoms that live on in the body.’ Without even mentioning the impact of physical and emotional wounds, our cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, and neurological systems are all implicated in fact and experience when we remember a traumatic event; thus Rambo is surely correct to suggest that ‘trauma is what does not go away’.
Interest in trauma theology is vigorous today, owing, at least in part, to its persistence. Moreover, the realities associated with trauma and aftercare have become increasingly prevalent in public discourse. This is due not only to the thousands of returning veterans but also to the impact of the #MeToo movement and the ongoing inquiries into spiritual and physical abuses of power; so, Karen O’Donnell’s research in this field is timely. Any reflection on the role of the Sacraments in aiding our understanding of and recovery from trauma can be commended on that basis alone.
Although O’Donnell’s work enters into the fray of a great number of recent works on trauma, her writing is shaped and informed by her own personal experience, which is its major strength and distinctive feature. O’Donnell is, in fact, among the foremost in her field today, and she is likely to be among those leading constructive and innovative theological thinking on trauma over the next few years. Her first statement as the new managing editor of Modern Believing illuminates her approach: ‘My own research is definitely in the constructive mode of theology—reflecting critically on what has gone before and recognizing the profound changes that have taken place in society at large’. Surveying the present literature available on the subject, O’Donnell traces the evolution of the field and writes: ‘It is my contention that trauma theory offers a rich vein of exploration for theologians that has only just begun to be explored’; hence the impetus of her book.
With this in mind, the image selected for the cover of the book is itself clear on O’Donnell’s perspective: A woman’s emaciated body is displayed; her head is bent down, and her hands clasp the back of her head. It is at once as beautiful and troubling, as vulnerable and courageous, as the book itself. The cover image is fitting as it indicates two of the primary concerns that underpin the book: First, the difficult realities associated with and first-hand experience of traumatized bodies, including the author’s own experience. In this sense, the research develops in the manner that might be expected from a feminist analysis of the subject. Indeed, the book is written with refreshing and moving honesty about the author’s own experience, namely that of her ‘repeated reproductive loss’ and distress at the ‘sentimental theology’ she encountered during what was an unimaginably difficult time in her life. The second is the fragility and vulnerability of traumatized bodies. As O’Donnell writes in the introduction: ‘it is with bodies that one must begin’ any worthwhile discussion of the subject.
O’Donnell carries through the promises of the cover image, delivering a truly original presentation of her doctoral thesis. Central to the book are ‘two interconnected questions’, with the second question resulting from and building upon O’Donnell’s answer to the first. The first question is, ‘Where and/or what is the somatic memory in Christianity?’. O’Donnell draws together recent writing on the body and memory here and answers the question (as indicated by the subtitle of the book) with the Eucharist. She describes the Eucharist, particularly when considered through the lens of the Annunciation-Incarnation event, as the place where body and memory come together most dramatically in the Christian tradition. She explores the Eucharist as an instance of ‘non-identical repetition’ in dialogue with Catherine Pickstock’s work, and the Eucharistic experience of Cyril of Alexandria to support this thesis, concluding that the Eucharist concerns ‘bodily integrity.’ She notes that this corresponds with ‘the first stage of trauma recovery’ in trauma theory.
The second question emerges from this, explicitly: ‘What are the consequences of considering the Annunciation-Incarnation event to be at the core of Christian somatic memory?’. O’Donnell’s answer is again twofold: first, it ‘disrupts traditional theological narratives’, as the temptation is to locate an exploration of trauma and the Eucharist within the Crucifixion event; and second, we are left with ‘a theological space in which to construct new narratives’ as a result. O’Donnell explores three of these ‘traditional theological narratives’—priesthood (chapter 4), sacrifice (chapter 5), and Real Presence (chapter 6)—before laying the groundwork for a ‘new narrative’ made possible by this approach, namely: ‘a Trinitarian understanding of priesthood, sacrifice, and Real Presence informed by the concept of perichoresis, that takes bodily experience—especially Mary’s body—seriously’.
The final section explores the ‘corporate, ecclesial experience of the Eucharist’ in light of this proposed ‘new narrative’, suggesting that trauma theory locates Mary’s significant place in any theology of the body, and especially the Eucharist. These insights are drawn together using the ‘loving the body’ motif. What emerges, then, is an exhilarating, liberating, and authoritative call to ‘love the body in all its guises’—a much-needed call, particularly when the contemporary ambivalence to the body is considered.
In short, O’Donnell offers an engaging and lively piece of constructive theology, and it provides an alternative vista to the contemporary discussions about trauma and the Eucharist. It makes compelling reading, and, perhaps more importantly, it proves her to be a person of remarkable honesty about the difficult realities associated with her own experience of trauma and human vulnerability. It is a bold, insightful, and courageous book that should be considered a must-read.
