Biblical Spirits/S of Suffering

Catalog description

Taught by JST. This course will dive deeply into Esther, Lamentations, Job, & 1 Corinthians to consider how specific religious subjects in the scriptures experienced suffering and reflected on their faith and theology in contexts of extremity. We will then put these biblical pericopes into conversation with contemporary theologians and scholar-practitioners, like Gustavo Gutierrez, Soong-Chan Rah, Brenda Salter McNeil, Christianne Méroz, and Walter Brueggemann, to explore biblical spiritualities of suffering. Through lecture, discussion, and meditation on specific concerns of contemporary theodicy, we will consider the theological implications of God's silence in the midst of horrors depicted in Scripture and ways that people of faith can approach sacred narratives that show practices of faith and resistance in the face of violence, grief, racism, poverty, conflict, and injustice. Suitable for MDiv, MA, MTS students; available for 4000-level upgrade. Tsynchronized online section of Biblical Spiritualities of Suffering will use Zoom to allow distance students to Zoom into the classroom experience at JST. They will participate live through virtual technology.