In times of tragedy and hardship, many people ask, “Why did this happen” and “Why me?” At such times questions about God enter the conversation. Consider these results of recent surveys:
- The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion cites a study reporting that more than 78% of people turned to religion to help them deal with a significant negative life event;
- clergy are among the first people from whom trauma victims seek help;
- The New England Journal of Medicine reports that more than 90% of Americans turned to religion in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
We know that trauma is not limited to terrorist attacks, but woven into the fabric of our lives—in coping with serious illness, dealing with the death of loved ones, and surviving violent crimes and natural disaster.
This seminar examines the questions: How helpful is religion for trauma victims? Is there scientific proof that prayer helps the sick? Are there times when religion does more harm than good? These questions and more will be addressed using current psychological and medical research on trauma, religion, and well-being, offering participants who minister to people facing life’s adversities the most current thinking in the field.
Seminar Leader: Dr. May Chen is a professor in the Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Department at the US Military Academy at West Point, where she has been involved in the development of crisis management techniques and post-traumatic stress disorder interventions. She is a health psychologist specializing in issues relating to trauma adaptation and religion.
A former research fellow at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, Chen has also served as a hospital chaplain in a level 1 trauma center in New Jersey. Her dissertation on religion and trauma won the dissertation award from the American Psychological Association in 2004.
Audience: Military chaplains, hospital chaplains, pastors, and social workers
Continuing Education Credits:
Chaplains: 5.0 CCEs approved by the Association of Professional Chaplains
Social Workers: this course has been approved for 6 Clinical C.E.H. by the Rutgers University School of Social Work.
Registration Fee: $70 (includes lunch)
