Gewalt, Trauma und Religion in Kolumbien

How religion deals with people who have experienced violence is a multifaceted and stimulating subject area. This study analyses this subject based on the work conducted by different churches with displaced people in Colombia. In doing so, it highlights the institutional approaches of psychosocial work and, in particular, the specific, and not least religious, perspectives and resources of the people affected by displacement and violence. Using the context of Colombia, which is characterised by an endemic culture of violence, the author paints a detailed and striking picture of the practical challenges and requirements of dealing with people who have been exposed to violence. This study provides an insight into both the productive and problematic potential offered by religious action and religious interpretations in this respect and makes concrete suggestions as to how individual and societal experiences of violence can be addressed. In this way, it contributes to the debate on the responsibility of religions to propagate and maintain peace.