Death and Trauma: Suggestions for Christian Education from Psychology of Trauma

ABSTRACT

This article aims to comprehend human death in light of psychological trauma. According to Zigmunt Bauman, current society can be called ‘liquid life’ in which recency is advocated and the latest human life is experienced. In this current society, the old fashioned is underestimated while the latest is overestimated. A tendency to underestimate the ancient one or the old fashioned one is substantially dominant in this society. In effect, this society may either disregard the voice of trauma survivors who still experience the deceased or comprehend the voice of death from the perspective of the living. This article is an attempt to understand death in light of psychological trauma and to suggest that death is a reality which co-exist with life. This article relies upon Emmanuel Levinas in order to emphasize that death is not just the reality that is experienced at the end of life but the absolute other that co�exists with life. When Christian education attempts to educate people to accept co-existence of death and life, it may help to build the society where trauma survivors are allowed to live together with others though they continue to experience the dead. Acceptance of death as absolute other and listening to the voice of the dead are suggested in order to build the society where trauma survivors live together with others. In addition, it is to name the voice of the dead and remember them. When death is acknowledged to be the absolute other, we can critically reflect upon our society not through the eyes of the living but through the eyes of the dead.