With Joyful Acceptance, Maybe: Developing a Contemporary Theology of Suffering in Conversation with Five Christian Thinkers: Gregory the Great, Julian of Norwich, Jeremy Taylor, C. S. Lewis, and Ivone Gebara

This title is printed to order. This book may have been self-published. If so, we cannot guarantee the quality of the content. In the main most books will have gone through the editing process however some may not. We therefore suggest that you be aware of this before ordering this book. If in doubt check either the author or publisher’s details as we are unable to accept any returns unless they are faulty. Please contact us if you have any questions.

In a world where advertisements lead us to hope for a life free from suffering, facing the reality of suffering can be a particular challenge. Yet the reality of suffering is one that we all face in the course of our lives. While Christianity often has the reputation of a tradition that promotes the idea that all suffering is good for you and makes you a better person, there is, in fact, much more variety and nuance to the tradition. While there are those who advocate a wholesale acceptance, there are others who question the source of suffering and call for it to be fought against. This book delves into the world of five theologians-Gregory the Great, Julian of Norwich, Jeremy Taylor, C. S. Lewis and Ivone Gebara-to understand their perspectives and draw on their approaches as a way of understanding what Christian responses to suffering look like. This book constructs a contemporary theology that affirms the importance of the call to combat unjust suffering through acts of love and mercy, while also affirming that acceptance of the reality of endemic suffering, found in all five theologians, can provide us with opportunities to grow spiritually, live more faithfully and to experience the blessings in the midst of suffering that are a foretaste of heavenly bliss.