Search

An excerpt from the book "O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? A Meditation on Suffering" by Joe Hoover is presented.

The article focuses on religious aspects of racial oppression in the U.S. It mentions that in carrying out the mission of Jesus, the community of disciples will face anxiety and suffering, and pressure to conform to the status quo. It also informs on protests in the U.S. after the death of an African American man George Floyd by a police due to racism.

The article explores the study of trauma and the emergence of trauma studies and how they affect Christian theology. Topics covered include overview of trauma research involving combat veterans and sexual abuse survivors, problem with approaching the topic of suffering through theodicy according to trauma theologians, and the use of liturgical resources and ancient figures by theologians to address suffering in traumatic experiences.

The article discusses the notion of a consistent life ethic (C.L.E.) in the teaching of Roman Catholic Pope Francis. Topics include the notion of a throwaway culture that engages in violent practices, the notion of a culture of encounter in relation to interpersonal relationships in contrast to consumerism, and Francis's views about nonhuman suffering and environmental care.

The article discusses similarities between the marketing of wellness brands such as Goop to prosperity gospel teachings such as those of pastor of Joel Osteen. Topics include the role of positive thinking in actress Gwyneth Paltrow's marketing of Goop products, critiques of the prosperity gospel in the memoir "Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved" by historian Kate Bowler, and ideas about fear and suffering by prosperity gospel and wellness advocates in contrast to traditional Christian thought.

The article discusses how God provides hope and miracles to people who are suffering. A particular focus is given to a woman in Luke 8 who had suffered for 12 years with constant bleeding and who was healed by Jesus. The purpose of Apostle Luke to teach people that their pain and suffering will be gone if they reach out to Jesus is explained, as well as Apostle Paul's teachings that people can rejoice in their suffering and pain.

The author explains how God becomes human. Topics discussed are the three comings of Christ which are incarnation, the second coming and final coming, becoming one with the love of God, importance of self-forgetfulness made possible by adoration of God and bearing His divine love, contemplation as a way of reminder that God is one person in the lives of people, and giving birth to Christ in others through faith and by bearing Christlikeness and sharing in the sufferings of Christ.

In this article, the author discusses theological perspective of dealing with loss and sufferings. It mentions concept of Christ's death and resurrection, and suggests acceptance of losses as a normal part of life. It mentions grief are special opportunities to evangelize, offer priestly counseling, and teaches compassion.

The article offers suggestions for people to have faith in finding god during suffering. Topics discussed include being aware of interiority and surrounding externals; sharing the suffering of people to enter into companionship and intimacy with Christ; and role of priest to comfort and support those who suffers.

The article presents information on a talk by Father. James McTavish, from Manila, Philippines, at the St. Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City, Manila, for doctors and staff of oncology department. The topics include suffering, death and eternal life. Several catholic examples and biblical references for topics are also presented.

The article discusses physician-assisted suicide and the Death with Dignity advocacy movement in Oregon. Topics addressed include contrast between typical applicants for assisted suicide and popularly promoted cases such as that of the cancer patient Brittany Maynard, links between suicide application and mental health, and issues of self-determination and autonomy.

The article presents a profile of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in the Netherlands, highlighting the trends which have emerged since the program's legalization in 1994. The author describes how he originally supported the laws, but has since come to oppose it. Particular focus is given to the social attitudes surrounding death in the nation since the practices took effect.

The article discusses the theme of the blues in relation to Christian life and preaching. Topics addressed include a description of how blues is a central aspect of American cultural identity especially in African American Christianity, criticism of overly academic and dry theology, and the role of a preacher or pastor to recognize the suffering in the world and express it in his or her ministry.

The article presents discussion of martyrdom and suffering as part of the Christian vocation, adapted from the forthcoming book "I Am with You: The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2016." Topics addressed include the connections between martyrdom, Christian identity and church unity, various features of Christian martyrdom as taught by the Bible and Church Fathers, and the need for Christians to embrace suffering.

The author talks about how the doctrine that called union with Christ comforted him after the death of his friend and forever altered his view of the Christian life. Topics include the incapacity of Christians to being disentangled with Christ, the presence of God even during human's suffering, and the necessity of the challenges of life as steps to God's plan for a person' life.

The article offers the author's insight on the issue of suffering, focusing on the Catholic notion of indulgences and how the patience of the suffering person can teach the church. He discusses topics including the book "Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity," by Charles Taylor focused on the intercession and indulgences in the Catholic tradition, religious imaginations, and theodicy.

This article presents the author's reflections on suffering through treatments for blood cancer, adapted from his forthcoming book "Rejoicing in Lament: Wrestling with Incurable Cancer and Life in Christ." The author focuses on how he was comforted during his struggles by the Christian doctrine of God's impassibility, which states that God's love and will are constant and not manipulable. Details are also given describing how such a perspective has changed the author's prayer life.

The article argues that there is spirituality to be found even in moments of weakness, suffering, loss, and death. It cites the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Mark and how to apply these teachings in times of diminishment, shares a personal story by the author of the death and sickness encountered by his parents, and discusses how impermanence and contingency are factors of life that will help people grow.

The author discusses how tragedies such as the December 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut can affirm one's religious faith. He describes how Christians must oppose evil and suffering while praying that God's will be done on earth as in heaven. It is argued that God chooses to respond to people's pain not by making suffering and evil disappear, but by being with them and absorbing their negative experiences.

The article presents the opinions of author John F. Haught and philosophy professor Brian Davies of Fordham University on the issue about God and suffering. The issue emanates from the book "Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God," by Elizabeth Johnson. Haught cited the opinion of Thomas Weinandy, author of the books "Does God Suffer?," and "Does God Change?," on the issue. Davies, on the other hand, partly agreed to the comments of Haught on the criticism of Johnson by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

An interview with Joni Eareckson Tada, an author who suffered paralysis, chronic pain and breast cancer, is presented. She relates that her perspective on suffering and healing has not changed since she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 60. She says that she examined the Scripture and followed every passage regarding healing when she had a quadriplegia and when she suffered with chronic pain. She outlines her theology of suffering in her book "A Place of Healing: Wrestling With the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God's Sovereignty."

The article presents a discussion of the author's Christian spiritual life while suffering with prostate cancer, adapted from his book "At the Scent of Water: The Ground of Hope in the Book of Job."

The author discusses how suffering is an essential component of Christian discipleship, especially for those with a calling to become church leaders. He describes the challenges that come with being a church leader in Sri Lanka and the requirements of vocational fulfillment in religious life. He observes how young Christian workers who come back to Sri Lanka after studying in the West struggle to accept the lack of recognition given to them. The emphasis on enduring frustration in the theology of Saint Paul is also discussed.

The article recalls the decision of U.S. Army veteran and ordained Catholic priest Andrew Morkunas to live in faith after serving the military for 13 years. It recounts the ski accident of Morkunas before his scheduled ordination in June 2009, which led to the discovery of a tumor in the center of his brain. He stresses that his faith, which he calls his toolbox, consists of a profound appreciation of suffering and empathy for individuals who are combating their fear.

The author discusses the moral, ethical, and doctrinal aspects of redemptive violence, arguing that the blood sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ's death does not function as a typological sign supporting violence of any kind. The author argues that suffering, pain, and violence are contradictory to the Christian life and offers a vision of Christianity that focuses on comfort, reconciliation, pacifism, diplomacy, compassion, and non-sacrificial.

The article focuses on an insomniac's prayer practice. It mentions that as he pray through the night, he imagine Christians, many of whom ask Mary to "pray for us in the hour of our death," sharing in Sri Ramakrishna's prayer to Kali, "O Mother, I throw myself on thy mercy." It also mentions that he pray those three prayers out of a longing for unity amid a tragedy that reveals our common suffering.

The author reflects on how the whole Earth and all its inhabitants belong to God and the impact of this notion on the brokenness and suffering of people all over the world. Topics covered include experience of the author's son in Germany with a mean girl in the playground, how the fullness of God was depicted in Die schÕne Tür, the carved and painted doorway in Saint Anne's Church in Germany and the realization that all people belong to God and thus to each other.

The article discusses that the psalms of the Bible include prayers for those who need to pray but can't find the words. The prayers include the prayer made by Jesus Christ in the garden of Olives just before his arrest, the second part of Psalm 22 stating that any source of suffering great enough to shake the confidence in God's friendship was the enemy, and the third phase of the psalm celebrating the God who answers every prayer and remains faithful to his friends.

The author discusses the implications of Jesus Christ's Resurrection for Christians and what is meant in the synoptic Gospels when Christ told his followers to take up their cross daily. Topics addressed include the crosses or problems that people bear in their everyday lives, accepting that some things cannot be changed, and the benefits of sharing one's problems with others. The importance of letting some parts of one's life die to let other parts live is also mentioned.

The article talks about how the Lord is pleased with humans who have a humble, broken and contrite heart and spirit. Topics discussed include the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the role of suffering in the worship of God and his son Jesus Christ, and a scripture by the apostle Peter that states we cannot avoid the sufferings of Christ and must partake in the same.

The article offers meditations on the biblical texts Luke 13:31-35 and Luke 13:1-9. Topics include the biblical roles of prophets in relation to the teachings of religious figure Jesus Christ, the relation of suffering and death to theology, and the story of a fig tree that was fruitless and given time by a gardener.

The author presents a Lenten reflection about the crosses or challenges that people tend to bear in life despite not choosing them. Topics discussed include the way Simon of Cyrene carried the cross based on the narrative of the Passion of Jesus Christ, the role of love in the decision of an individual to enter the suffering of another person, and the manifestation of humanity through this suffering.

The author discusses the Passion of Jesus Christ based on a biblical reading from the Gospels of John and Isaiah for the celebration of Good Friday. Topics explored include the foretelling of the suffering and resurrection of Christ, the link between the suffering of an innocent person and salvation, and the significance of the servanthood demonstrated by Christ.

The article presents the author's views regarding the Christian and theological notions about pain and suffering. The author states the connection of pain and suffering in Christian life and cites how they lead mankind to believe in God. The author notes how the early Christians suffered and attained spiritual knowledge after surpassing pain.

An essay is presented on the view of Cistercian monk Thomas Merton on the value of suffering. Merton warns people against treating suffering like a currency to be exchanged for something that is desirable or anything that could make them happy and complete. Merton encourages the significance of recognizing the deception that can emerge with suffering which could blind people to their capacity for an authentic experience.

The article offers information on the religious aspects of the suffering and triumph in the Christianity. It explores the physical and emotional characteristics of a woman in the Christianity. It mentions the author's experienced from childhood abuse and poverty. It also explores the death's eternal relationship with Christ Jesus.

The article discusses the thought and influence of theologian James Hal Cone in relation to black theology. Topics include Cone's views regarding suffering, the influence of womanist thought on Cone's theology, and the relation of Cone's theology to social activism. The relation of Cone's theology to that of theologian Karl Barth is mentioned.

The article discusses how people can deal with suffering with the help of God. It identifies free will as the primary cause of the suffering in the world. The role of self-centeredness in the way people interpret every experience and interaction is discussed, as well as the motto of the Salvation Army as one of the most powerful things about it.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of learning about the Bible's teachings about suffering when she became a homeless teenager after leaving the house of her drug addict mother.

The article presents a meditation on the meaning and virtue of groaning and suffering in Christian life. Topics addressed include discussion of scriptural references to groaning, the value of the action in how it expresses human suffering, and description of God's response to our groanings with love and care.

The article offers the author's insights related to salvation and hell. Topics include thoughts from author Paul Macdonald Jr. about the benefits of having saints and sinners in the world such allowing God to manifest his goodness, the petition of the Catholic Church for the salvation of all the people, and the potential that hell is human freedom due to the presence of eternal suffering.

The article offers a meditation on the biblical text Luke 13:1-9. Topics include the relation of God to suffering, the notion of repentance as called for by religious figure Jesus Christ, and the notion of divine justice in judgment. The notion of turning away from sin as an aspect of early Christianity is addressed.