The Tale of the Lord’s Handmaid

Mary's Story from a Trauma Hermeneutic Perspective

Abstract

This study examines Mary’s story through the lens of trauma, highlighting how the loss of bodily autonomy, communal threat, and identity disruption resonate with experiences of trauma survivors. In the Magnificat, Mary reclaims her voice and reshapes her suffering into a narrative of hope, resistance, and post-traumatic growth. A trauma-informed theological reading opens space to reinterpret the Incarnation through the lived reality of female embodiment. This approach foregrounds critical questions about consent in divine-human encounters, exposing the tension between divine initiative and the autonomy of the female body. It also challenges religious narratives that have historically justified masculine dominance and social control over women. Mary’s experience thus becomes a site of theological transformation and critical reframing.