Digital Commons Network^™

Personal Trauma, Community Healing : Reimagining Sanctuary For Survivors Of Gun Violence, Eva Mccarthy

Masters Theses

of communities who suffer through high levels of gun violence experience post-traumatic stress disorder at rates equal to military veterans. At the same time, religious participation in the US has plummeted, and churches, once the center of many of these communities, have lost their value as support systems. These structures must become a new type of sanctuary for those dealing with pervasive, gun-related trauma. The reimagined typology will prioritize progressive, sustained benefit over revelatory moments of transcendence, by opening sightlines through a space of safety and support to the outside.

The decaying Bethel Holy Temple Church in North Philadelphia is …