Crisis Contemplation: Healing the Wounded Village

In Crisis Contemplation, the Rev. Dr. Barbara Holmes addresses two entry points into contemplation which have seldom been addressed: contemplation during crisis, and how we contemplate as community. Engaging deeply with both history and current events, Holmes addresses the emergence of crisis contemplation, especially through the lenses of BIPOC peoples. After exploring existing communal contemplative experiences and several types of crises (pandemics, earthquakes, and systemic abuses), she examines the resulting traumatic wounds which manifest across generations. In the second half of the book, she shifts toward a village response to crises, addressing communal formation, belonging, resistance, and resilience. A deeper look at healing through memory and story, culture and ritual, leads to a final chapter on envisioning different futures through liminality and bio-spiritual resurrection. Included reflection questions and practices engage readers and groups at multiple levels.