Sitting by the River with Jesus: Trauma, Mysticism, and Communal Healing with Aizaiah Yong

What if everything we think we know about trauma and healing is backwards? Today I'm talking with Aizaiah Young about his incredible new book "Trauma and Renewal" and honestly, this conversation blew me away. Isaiah survived a near-death motorcycle accident right after passing his PhD comprehensive exams (talk about terrible timing), and during a 16-hour surgery, he had this profound mystical encounter with Jesus that completely reshaped how he thinks about transformation. But here's the thing - this isn't some individualistic "I found healing and so can you" story. Instead, Aizaiah argues that real healing is relational, communal, and intercultural, and he's doing something really brave by including his parents' voices throughout the book as they process this traumatic journey together. We dive deep into contemplative tradition, Internal Family Systems therapy, the vision he had of sitting in silence by a river with Jesus (who apparently has a great sense of humor), and how the whole Western approach to selfhood might be fundamentally missing the point. Isaiah's working at the Collegeville Institute now with the Benedictines, and if you want to meet him in person, he'll be hanging out with us at Theology Beer Camp this October in St. Paul. This is one of those conversations that stays with you.

You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube

Aizaiah G. Yong is an ordained pentecostal Christian minister and practical theologian who has served in religious and higher education leadership for over a decade devoting his energy to healing and advocacy work that centers QTBIPOC communities. His recent book, Multiracial Cosmotheadrism: a Practical Theology of Multiracial Experiences, received the internationally acclaimed 2022 Raimon Panikkar Prize.

UPCOMING ONLINE CLASS - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The God of Justice: Where Ancient Wisdom Meets Contemporary Longing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This transformative online class brings together distinguished scholars from biblical studies, theology, history, and faith leadership to offer exactly what our moment demands: the rich, textured wisdom of multiple academic disciplines speaking into our contemporary quest for justice. Here you'll discover how ancient texts illuminate modern struggles, how theological reflection deepens social action, and how historical understanding opens new possibilities for faithful engagement with our world's brokenness and beauty. Join John Dominic Crossan, Peter Enns, Casey Sigmon, Aizaiah Yong, & Malcolm Foley

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