The faculty at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts has voted to grant me Visiting Scholar Status for the 2008-2009 academic year. This is a research position that grants me library privileges and access to other faculty. I will begin a project on the Theology of Suffering and Trauma and work to develop a course that could be taught in seminary to prepare ministerial students to deal with Trauma and Recovery in a much better way.
Visiting Scholar
You may wish to look at how cultural attitudes practices help or hinder recovery from trauma. Many cultures allow for a longer mourning period after a death than we do.
For instance, in my home culture (Latino) we would have the funeral, then the 30 day mass, then the six month mass, then the one year mass, then one mass a year until the fifth anniversary. In other words, it is an implicit recognition that it is OK to be in mourning for up to five years.
In this culture, we get worried if people are not bright and cheerful at the one year mark. I consider this unrealistic.
Congraulations, Fr. Peter!
Please pray for those of us on the Gulf Coast. The storm will be here in about 13-14 hours. I’m posting updates every few hours on my blog, for anyone who is interested:
http://saintjameskids.blogspot.com
Congratulations Fr. P.: Sounds like your territory has been expanded. What a huge undertaking! Go get um.
Congratulations Fr. P. sounds challenging.