Shame, Violence, and Communion

I will be heading to the Wesleyan Theological Society in March to present my paper, "Bind us Together: Exploring the Day of Atonement and Communion as Counteractions to Shame and Violence." Recent studies show that one cause of shame is disbondedness (disconnectedness) and that one symptom of shame is violence. My thesis is that in light of these considerations of shame and violence, we can consider the Day of Atonement as providing a place for violence otherwise prohibited, emptying shame of this effect, and restoring community, counteracting the cause of shame. Communion can be considered in a similar way: By celebrating the death of Jesus, the community sees the end of sacrificial violence, and is bound together, thereby emptying shame of one of its effects, even while the continued practice of communion further binds its celebrants together.