Reason about Suffering
What suffering means for the existence of God is an important question, but here is possibly yet a deeper question about suffering: is it possible for suffering to benefit those who experience it? At first, this question seems laughable on its face. But consider the wisest, most admirable, most flourishing people who have lived. To a person, they are people deeply acquainted with suffering: Harriet Tubman, Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Martin Luther King Jr., Sojourner Truth, Abraham Lincoln, Ghandi, and, yes, Jesus. Early Christians who noticed this pattern began to think something radical. They believed that suffering is medicinal; in the right circumstances, those who suffer can end up leading more flourishing lives than they would have otherwise. Could this be so?
Text: Eleonore Stump, The Table Podcast
Practical advice: Kate Bowler, “Death, the Prosperity Gospel and Me,” New York Times Op-Ed
Learning outcomes:
- Critically assess arguments for and against the claim that suffering can lead to human flourishing.
- Discuss the potential dangers of justifying or romanticizing suffering.
- Analyze the philosophical and theological implications of suffering in relation to the existence of God.
Do this:
- Choose one person from the list (Harriet Tubman, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Victor Frankl, Frederick Douglas) and reflect on how suffering shaped their life and contributions to society.