COURSES
THS 631
Theology of Suffering
Gustavo Gutierrez asks, "Are suffering human beings able to enter into an authentic relationship with God and find a correct way of speaking about God?" This is the core question of this course. We will give attention to both the spirituality for a theology of suffering and to the methods for framing a theology of suffering. Participants will be invited to consider ways in which their own view of suffering is being shaped. This course will examine various theological approaches to suffering including those of noted theologians: Dorothy Soelle, Jurgen Moltmann, Gustavo Gutierrez, Rubem Alves and Henri Nouwen. Nicolas Walterstorff suggests that "the valley of suffering is the vale of soul-making." We will explore the common explanations of suffering and learn to think theologically about the contours of suffering and hope in a broken world.
Classes Offered