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Theology of the Pain of God: The First Original Theology from Japan
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Average Rating:  out of 2 Reviews
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Price: $22.00
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Sale: $18.66
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Manufacturer: Wipf & Stock Publishers
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EAN (European Article Number): 9781597522564
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Number of Items: 1
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Binding: Paperback
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Author: Kazoh Kitamori
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Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers
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Publication Date: 2005-06
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Reading Level: 188
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Description: Up until two years ago I was a convinced Calvinist, the typical "angry young man" you often find in Reformed circles, confident beyond measure that God had determined everything that had come to pass, even the evils that take place in our world. But then a crisis occurred in my family that caused me a tremendous amount of pain, and I found that my magesterial, sovereign God was of little help or comfort to me. I think part of me despaired of my faith. But then, while browsing through a dictionary of theology where I looked up the word "pain" I came across a reference for Kitamori's book. I was intringued, found a copy in my local library, and read it eagerly. It would not be an exagerration to say that my views about God, about his relationality, his love, and his pathos, began to change. Reading Theology of the Pain of God revolutionized by relationship to him, increased my faith, and helped me to understand that God was with me, even in those darkest moments of my life, not because he decreed that they should happen (as in Calvinism), but because he was suffering with me. He knew what I was going through, not because he had ordained it, but because he too knows what suffering is. Somehow, those were the words my soul needed to hear, and my faith was strengthened. I had a renewed love for my Lord. I would recommend this book to anyone, whether or not you've gone through a similar situation, because it may provide a much needed corrective to your current understanding about God.
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Customer Reviews
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Review Summary: A model of creativity in dialogue with tradition and culture |
Date: 2008-04-03 |
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Details: This is a relatively short book, but it is exceptionally deep and amazingly thorough in scope and perceptive in its arguments. It is particularly exemplary for its responsible engagement with the tradition of Christian thought and Kitamori's ability to explore issues at the boundaries of precedent or orthodoxy without being too eager to conveniently step outside of those boundaries.
His writing, in translation, is concise and accessible. Fortunately, it is not necessary to be as well-read as Kitamori to benefit from this work. Kitamori does not always name or explicate his interlocutors, though, so a background in the history of Christian theology and some philosophy makes for an even more rewarding read, especially since attention to Kitamori's reading of this or that historical figure can be a highly interesting dimension as well.
Drawing on the Scriptures, the thought of Martin Luther, and echoing many voices and streams from Christian tradition, Kitamori discusses the significance of Christ and his Passion as revelatory of a fundamental, paradoxical, deeply painful wound within the Godhead itself, and of the nature of the relationship between God's wrath and God's love. The divine anguish at the nexus of these mysteries has implications for how one might understand aspects of the Christian life, including ethics, mysticism, and eschatology. That many central aspects of his innovative ideas are not wholly new is a testament to the author's subtlety, creativity, and responsibility to tradition. Kitamori also has an almost uncanny ability to anticipate some of the questions that might arise and the answers his theology might give.
The work is also significant as one which addresses the role of one's national/cultural background or context in theological work, especially if that background or context is not one which has historically been part of the Christian "conversation" as much as some Western cultures have. Many readers today might not be entirely comfortable with aspects of his way of analyzing the characteristics of cultures; nevertheless, Kitamori's ideas and experience as a Japanese Lutheran Christian are thought-provoking and inspiring. Yet the merit of this work deserves attention even apart from the unique circumstances of its origin.
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Review Summary: For those in need |
Date: 2006-06-09 |
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Details: Up until two years ago I was a convinced Calvinist, the typical "angry young man" you often find in Reformed circles, confident beyond measure that God had determined everything that had come to pass, even the evils that take place in our world. But then a crisis occurred in my family that caused me a tremendous amount of pain, and I found that my magesterial, sovereign God was of little help or comfort to me. I think part of me despaired of my faith. But then, while browsing through a dictionary of theology where I looked up the word "pain" I came across a reference for Kitamori's book. I was intringued, found a copy in my local library, and read it eagerly. It would not be an exagerration to say that my views about God, about his relationality, his love, and his pathos, began to change. Reading Theology of the Pain of God revolutionized by relationship to him, increased my faith, and helped me to understand that God was with me, even in those darkest moments of my life, not because he decreed that they should happen (as in Calvinism), but because he was suffering with me. He knew what I was going through, not because he had ordained it, but because he too knows what suffering is. Somehow, those were the words my soul needed to hear, and my faith was strengthened. I had a renewed love for my Lord. I would recommend this book to anyone, whether or not you've gone through a similar situation, because it may provide a much needed corrective to your current understanding about God. |
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