ABSTRACT
Originally denoting a serious physical wound from an external source, trauma today is principally understood as a mental and emotional condition, a persisting psychological malfunction exquisitely captured in William James’s observation that it is akin to a “thorn in the spirit.” The capacious field of trauma studies seeks to uncover what trauma means in the lives of individuals and communities, and how to heal this particular category of woundedness. This chapter offers an overview of the evolving definitions of trauma, of its causes and its effects, and of the promises for the healing of trauma.
