Scriptural Focus: Psalm 39: 1–3 and Judges 11: 29–40
“My heart grew hot within me; while I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue.” - Psalm 39: 3
🕯️ Episode Summary
In this opening episode of The Womanist Word, Dr. Tanya A. Alkhaliq re-reads the story of Jephthah’s daughter through a Womanist, psychological, and liberatory lens.She explores how silence has functioned as both sanctuary and shackle for Black women as a survival strategy that once kept us safe but now calls to be reinterpreted as a site of healing, holiness, and reclamation.
Moving through Psalm 39 and Judges 11, Dr. Alkhaliq bridges biblical exegesis, Resilient Reclamation Therapy (RRT), and Black psychology, guiding listeners through moments of reflection, release, and re-sounding.
This episode reminds us that silence is not weakness; it is scripture waiting to be re-read and when we finally speak, we fulfill the ancestral covenant of every daughter who survived by humming under her breath.
🔑 Themes
* Sacred Silence and Black Womanhood
* The Psychology of Hidden Vows
* Intergenerational Trauma and Adaptive Survival
* Liberation Theology through a Womanist Lens
* Resilient Reclamation Therapy (RRT) and Healing Practice
* The Body as Text and the Voice as Liturgy
* From Survival to Resurrection: The Re-Sounding
📜 Episode Flow
* Opening Invocation - “Naming the Sacred Silence”A reflection on Psalm 39 and the inherited hush of survival.
* Scripture Reading - Judges 11:29–40The vow that cost a daughter her voice.
* Exegesis - “Reclaiming Jephthah’s Daughter”A Womanist interpretation that restores her agency within captivity.
* The Psychology of SilenceHow trauma teaches the body to keep vows the mouth never made.
* Resilient Reclamation Therapy (RRT) IntegrationNaming, locating, and releasing the “hidden vows” that govern our belonging.
* Modern Parallels - The Hidden Contracts of Black Women’s LivesThe emotional debt of silence in ministry, family, and leadership.
* Book Reflection - Beyond the Margins: Re-Imagining Women in the BibleDr. Alkhaliq connects Jephthah’s daughter to Eve, Hagar, and Tamar… women whose stories survived erasure.
* The Re-Sounding - When Silence Becomes VoiceBreaking the vow, reclaiming the sound, and restoring divine rhythm to the soul.
* Benediction for the Reclaimed VoiceA closing blessing for every listener learning to trust their voice again.
🧠 RRT Reflection Prompts
* What vow of silence have I kept to stay safe?
* Whose vow am I still living out?
* Where does silence live in my body?
* What truth is trying to break through my silence?
* What hidden vows still govern my belonging?
* What have I left unsaid that deserves sacred hearing?
Use these prompts with your RRT Worksheet: “Naming the Hidden Vow” - available at The Sacred Psyche.
📚 Resources Mentioned
* Book: Beyond the Margins: Re-Imagining Women in the Bible by Dr. Tanya A. Alkhaliq (purchase HERE)
* Platform: The Sacred Psyche Substack - for essays, worksheets, and interdisciplinary research
* Podcast: [The Re-Memory Den] - companion podcast exploring Black ontology, spirituality, and therapeutic liberation
💬 Key Quote
“Silence does not heal trauma; it only hides it.The body keeps the vow and every time we speak, an ancestor exhales.”
🔔 Call to Action
* Subscribe to The Sacred Psyche on Substack for extended essays and RRT practices.
* Follow Tales from the Therapist, Theologian, & Researcher wherever you listen to podcasts.
* Share this episode and tag a Womanist leader, pastor, or therapist who is helping reimagine healing for the African Diaspora.
✨ Benediction (Excerpt)
“May you remember that silence can be sacred, but not if it keeps you small.May you honor your pauses but never confuse them with disappearance.May your therapy become your theology,and your theology become your liberation.”
Thanks for reading Tales from the Theologian, Therapist, & Researcher! This post is public so feel free to share it.
