Online conference
Trauma and the Bible
Reading Scripture with Greater Care
What happens when we take trauma seriously in the way we read, interpret, and engage the Bible?
Join leading voices in biblical scholarship, pastoral leadership, and trauma-informed care for a conference exploring difficult texts, religious harm, and new possibilities for engaging Scripture with greater understanding and compassion.
For anyone interested in the intersection of the Bible, trauma, faith, and healing.
- Saturday, January 30, 2027Live online via Zoom
- 8:30 AM–3:30 PM PT11:30 AM–6:30 PM ET
About the conference
What changes when we read the Bible through the lens of trauma?
From the painful experiences portrayed in biblical texts to the ways Scripture has been used to shame, silence, or justify harm, trauma raises urgent questions about how we interpret and engage the Bible. Bringing together leading voices in biblical scholarship, pastoral leadership, and trauma-informed care, this conference explores how we can approach Scripture with greater understanding, compassion, and wisdom.
Why this conference
Questions we’ll explore
What do we do with troubling passages of Scripture?
Biblical texts contain violence, suffering, abuse of power, and other experiences that can be difficult to interpret or reconcile with faith. As readers sometimes we lack a framework for engaging these passages without minimizing harm, excusing violence, or abandoning thoughtful interpretation.
How can we recognize when Scripture is being used to cause harm?
Biblical passages can be used to shame, threaten, silence, or keep people in harmful situations. Many people need better tools for understanding how religious interpretations can compound trauma – and how to respond with greater care.
How do we bring trauma awareness into the study and practice of faith?
As thoughtful readers, scholars, ministry leaders, and helping professionals we may recognize the impact of trauma but lack the tools to integrate trauma awareness into biblical interpretation, pastoral care, and lived experience.
What you’ll gain
What you’ll take away
01
A new lens for reading the Bible
Explore how trauma awareness can deepen our understanding of biblical narratives, illuminate difficult passages, and challenge interpretations that overlook suffering or reinforce harm.
02
A deeper understanding of trauma and faith
Examine the complex relationship between Scripture, faith communities, and traumatic experiences, including how biblical texts and teachings can affect people in vulnerable or painful circumstances.
03
Practical approaches for engaging Scripture with care
Discover tools to bring trauma awareness into biblical interpretation, theological reflection, and ministry or helping contexts without oversimplifying texts or the experiences of those affected by trauma.
Early Bird registration is $75 through November 30.
Register nowSpeakers
Leading voices in scholarship, ministry, and care
Keynote
Dr. Jessica ChenFeng
Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy, Fuller Theological Seminary
Jessica ChenFeng, PhD, LMFT (she/her), is program chair of the Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy program and associate professor of marriage and family therapy at Fuller Theological Seminary. A practicing marriage and family therapist for over 20 years, she consults with academic, healthcare, and church organizations to strengthen well-being in their communities. Her clinical work and research explore how race, gender, generation, trauma, and spirituality shape people’s lives and relationships.
She is founding director of the Asian American Well-being Collaboratory and associate editor of Family Process. She is co-author of Finding Your Voice as a Beginning Marriage and Family Therapist and co-editor of Asian American Identities, Relationships, and Post-Migration Legacies.
Jessica’s Christian faith has been shaped by Presbyterian, United Methodist, American Baptist, Adventist, and Jesuit communities, and she is grateful for how each has deepened it. Born and raised in the greater Los Angeles area, she still lives there with her spouse and two children, with the support of family and community; her work and home life continually shape each other. Whenever she gets the chance, she loves reconnecting with analogue pleasures: paper planners and stationery, baking, and sewing.
Keynote
Bishop Valarie Pearce, M.Ed.
Senior Pastor, Love Encounter Church, Portland, OR
Bishop Valarie Doakes Pearce, M.Ed., is a scholar, educator, and spiritual leader whose ministry bridges biblical scholarship, compassionate pastoral care, and social justice. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from George Fox University and a Master of Education from Concordia University and is currently pursuing doctoral studies. She is certified in Women’s Biblical Scholarship through Portland Seminary and the Leadership Center’s Religion for Her program.
As Senior Pastor of Love Encounter Church, Bishop Pearce stewards the Word of God with love, wisdom, and compassion. Her ministry is grounded in the transformative love of Jesus Christ and a profound commitment to reaching those excluded, wounded, or living on the margins of faith.
Her community leadership includes serving as an Advisory Council Board Member on The Salvation Army’s WEST Women and Children’s Shelter and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Coalition of African and African American Pastors. She is passionate about cultivating spaces where biblical understanding, human dignity, and belonging intersect.
Keynote
Rev. Dr. Melissa Ramos
PhD in Hebrew Bible, MDiv
Co-Owner, Religion for Her
A scholar of the Hebrew Bible and ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Melissa is the author of Ritual in Deuteronomy: The Performance of Doom (Routledge, 2021).
Book panel
Dr. Alexiana Fry
PhD in Hebrew Bible
Alexiana Fry, PhD (Old Testament), is a research fellow at her alma mater, Stellenbosch University, a former guest researcher at the University of Copenhagen. She is the author of two books on trauma-informed readings of the Hebrew Bible: Trauma Talks in the Hebrew Bible: Speech Act Theory and Biblical Hermeneutics (2023) and Esther Keeps the Score: Trauma, Body and Politics in the Hebrew Bible (2026). Biblical literacy is her passion, and she regularly posts on multiple social media platforms (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok) to share educational resources with the public.
Integrated discussion
Dr. Jody Washburn
PhD in Hebrew Bible, MSW, LSWAIC
Co-Owner, Religion for Her
Jody Washburn, PhD (UCLA), MSW (WWU) is a teacher, scholar, musician, and life-long wonderer. Her training is primarily in Hebrew Bible and the languages and cultures of the ancient Near East. Washburn also has training in social science and archaeology, and a sustained interest in interdisciplinary work. She taught Hebrew and biblical studies at Walla Walla University for seven years, and now teaches in the School of Social Work and Sociology. For the past few years she has been studying intersections between trauma studies, attachment theory, and Hebrew Bible concepts of shalom/wholeness, compassion, and covenant love; and her most recent project was creating an interactive curriculum for processing spiritual abuse and religious trauma entitled Reclaiming Our Spirituality. Her hobbies include photographing patterns in nature, playing ragtime on the piano, crocheting, and camping with her family.
One day, five voices, and a new way of reading difficult texts.
Register nowSaturday, January 30, 2027
Schedule
All times are Pacific, with Eastern below. Each presentation includes time for Q&A.
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8:30 AM11:30 AM ET
Welcome
Opening remarks
Religion for Her
-
8:45 AM11:45 AM ET
Keynote · Clinical presentation
How might trauma responses show up in our engagement of Scripture?
Dr. Jessica ChenFeng
-
9:45 AM12:45 PM ETBreak
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10:00 AM1:00 PM ET
Keynote · Pastoral presentation
How can trauma awareness help us engage Scripture more relationally in faith communities?
Bishop Valarie Pearce
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11:00 AM2:00 PM ETBreak
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11:15 AM2:15 PM ET
Presentation
Integrative presentation
Dr. Jody Washburn
-
12:15 PM3:15 PM ETExtended break
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1:15 PM4:15 PM ET
Book panel
Esther Keeps the Score
Dr. Alexiana Fry with panelists
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2:15 PM5:15 PM ETBreak
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2:30 PM5:30 PM ET
Keynote · Practice
How can tools of biblical interpretation help us read troubling passages of Scripture?
Rev. Dr. Melissa Ramos
Together, we’ll practice walking through a difficult passage of Scripture.
The conference ends at 3:30 PM PT (6:30 PM ET).
Registration
Reserve your place
Registration covers the full day, live online. The earlier you register, the less you pay.
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Early Bird
$75
Nov 1 – Nov 30
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Holiday
$85
Dec 1 – Dec 31
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Regular
$100
Jan 1 – Jan 23
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Last Chance
$125
Jan 24 – Jan 30
Digital Goodie Bag
Included in the registration fee are the following exclusive items:
- 30 day post-conference access pass to all conference recordings
- Religion for Her conference workbook
- 15 minute video lecture on biblical interpretation by Dr. Melissa Ramos
- Printable Scripture cards with Religion for Her artwork
- Post-conference 7-day reflection journal
- 20% discount on the book Esther Keeps the Score by Dr. Alexiana Fry
- Entry for free book giveaway
- 25% discount to Religion for Her sitewide
Scholarships are available. Email melissa@religionforher.com to inquire.
Questions
Good to know
How do I join the conference?
The conference is held live on Zoom. After you register, your confirmation email includes the Zoom link and everything you need to join.
Who is this conference for?
Anyone interested in the intersection of the Bible, trauma, faith, and healing: scholars, ministry leaders, helping professionals, and thoughtful readers. This is an all-gender event, and all are welcome.
What time is it in my time zone?
The conference runs from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM Pacific, which is 11:30 AM to 6:30 PM Eastern.
Will the sessions be recorded?
Yes. Your registration includes a 30 day post-conference access pass to all conference recordings, as part of the digital goodie bag.
Are continuing education (CE) credits available?
This conference offers 5.5 hours of specialized continuing education designed to equip ministry leaders, chaplains, and pastoral care teams with practical, trauma-informed tools for scriptural engagement. We are happy to provide a formal Certificate of Completion for attendees to submit to their denominational board, ordination body, or employer for professional development credit.
How do I receive the digital goodie bag?
Entry for the free book giveaway is automatic, and we will announce winners periodically during the conference. Physical books will be mailed to individual participants. All the other items will be made available on our website, where you can log in to access the materials.
Does the price change?
Yes. Registration is $75 through November 30, $85 in December, $100 from January 1 to 23, and $125 from January 24 until the conference.
Are scholarships available?
Yes. Email melissa@religionforher.com to inquire.
Saturday, January 30, 2027 · Live online
Read Scripture with greater care.
Early Bird registration is $75 through November 30.
Register now