Lament, Death, and Destiny (Studies in Biblical Literature, V. 68)
Book Description
In a world where grief is often rushed and suffering sanitized, Richard A. Hughes reclaims an ancient spiritual practice that once offered profound solace to the human soul. This scholarly exploration reveals how lament—the raw, honest cry against unjust death and undeserved pain—served as a cornerstone of both Greek and Hebrew spiritual traditions.
Hughes traces a fascinating historical journey, showing how this essential human response gradually vanished from religious and cultural life. Beginning with Plato's philosophical objections and continuing through early Christian attempts to explain suffering, the author demonstrates how traditional doctrines of divine providence slowly silenced the voice of protest that once echoed through biblical texts.
Yet this is not merely a story of loss. Hughes illuminates how modern existentialist thinkers have begun to resurrect this ancient wisdom, recognizing lament as a necessary response to life's most devastating experiences. In our contemporary era marked by widespread tragedy and mass suffering, he argues for the urgent need to restore this forgotten spiritual practice.
Drawing from biblical scholarship and philosophical inquiry, this work offers readers a deeper understanding of how authentic spiritual engagement must include space for honest questioning and sacred protest. For those seeking to integrate the full spectrum of human experience into their spiritual journey, Hughes provides both historical insight and contemporary relevance.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~5 hours)
📄 Length: 179 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore History and criticism
- ✓ Understand death from spiritual perspective
- ✓ Explore Bibel
- ✓ Explore Providence and government of God
- ✓ Explore Suffering, religious aspects
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects
- ✓ Explore Laments
- ✓ Explore History of doctrines
