From Suffering to God

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

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2. Introduction

   1. Introduction

      • Marian F. Sia, Santiago Sia

      Pages 1-15

3. From Suffering…

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 17-17

      PDF

   2. Reflections on Job’s and Hopkins’ Question

      • Marian F. Sia, Santiago Sia

      Pages 19-32

   3. Literary Meditations on Death and Christian Hope

      • Marian F. Sia, Santiago Sia

      Pages 33-53

   4. What Kind of God?: An Inquiry into the Challenge of Suffering

      • Marian F. Sia, Santiago Sia

      Pages 54-71

4. … To God

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 73-73

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   2. The Task of Describing God

      • Marian F. Sia, Santiago Sia

      Pages 75-87

   3. The Concept of an Immutable God

      • Marian F. Sia, Santiago Sia

      Pages 88-106

   4. Reformulating the Meaning of God’s Compassionate Love

      • Marian F. Sia, Santiago Sia

      Pages 107-123

   5. Participating in God’s Liberative Act

      • Marian F. Sia, Santiago Sia

      Pages 124-140

   6. Some Concluding Remarks

      • Marian F. Sia, Santiago Sia

      Pages 141-147

5. Back Matter

   Pages 149-207

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'A splendid book! The authors give a moving account of a tragic aspect of our present human world. It is a scholarly, learned account.' - Charles Hartshorne, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin Does the reality of suffering disclose anything about God's nature? The authors address this fundamental question by reflecting on some theistic responses to the challenge of suffering. Taking seriously the persistence of theistic belief despite widespread suffering, they focus on the practical ways some believers deal with suffering: by 'suffering with those in affliction' and 'working for the liberation of those who are opposed.' They then investigate the possibility of describing God as 'co-sufferer' and 'liberator.' In their exploration they turn to literature, theology and philosophy and offer an interesting interpretation of the relationship between these disciplines. Part I contains literary and descriptive reflections on the experiences of certain theists faced with the reality of suffering. The authors present and analyse the concerns, fears and hopes expressed in the book of Job and selected poems by Hopkins, Vaughan, Donne and Herbert. They then try to show that an important challenge that needs to be investigated and met, given the presence of so much suffering in the world, is discovering the kind of God in whom we can credibly continue to believe. This question is developed theologically and philosophically in Part II. In developing some answers, the authors turn to Latin American liberation theology and Charles Hartshorne's process philosophy and offer a new synthesis of these two schools of thought. Their exploration is an interesting illustration of how literature, theology and philosophy can throw some light on an area of common concern.

• America
• bibliography
• death
• English literature
• experience
• god
• inquiry
• interpret
• literature
• love
• philosophy
• poem
• present
• reform
• theology

Marian Sia

Santiago Sia

Policies and ethics