Taking matter seriously: Material theopoetics in the aftermath of communal violence

Abstract

Performance and play with our material world are ubiquitous to the human experience. This chapter explores how matter is made sacred, giving theopoetic witness to and transfiguring our bond with the dead in the aftermath of communal violence. This chapter draws upon a case study of a Boston-based lay-led ministry that works with survivors of homicide for illustration. Practices of material play speak to resilience in the face of trauma and reshape the foundations of our constructive and practical theologies of trauma. When performed and witnessed in the public square, such practices demonstrate the power to transfigure our wounded world, particularly when intercultural dimensions are taken seriously by public theologians of trauma.