Honest Sadness: Lament in a Pandemic Age
You may also like…
-
Into the Depths: A Chaplain's Reflections on Death, Dying and Pastoral Care
Paperback
£12.99£9.99
ISBN: ISBN: 978-1-78959-032-6Drawing on her experience of chaplaincy in prison, hospice and university contexts, Rosie Deedes reflects on the nature of good pastoral care and chaplaincy as a model of ministry for our time.
-
Out of the Whirlwind: Innocent Pain as a Challenge to God
Paperback
£9.99£8.99
ISBN: ISBN: 978-1-78959-067-8How can a merciful God can allow suffering and evil? A challenging and thoughtful reflection inspired by the book of Job.
-
God B.C.: God’s Grace in the Old Testament
Paperback £9.99
ISBN: ISBN: 978-1-910519-83-7A clear and profound introduction to the spiritual world of the Old Testament, enabling us to see how the whole Bible reveals the character of our humanity as well as that of God’s divinity.
Reserve your copy now!
Pre-order price guarantee
Price: £12.99
Pre-order this title now and it will be sent to you as soon as it is published. The retail price of the book has not yet been finalised, but if you pre-order today we guarantee that you won't pay more than £12.99, and if the price reduces before release we will refund the difference.
E-Book Availability
Using a Windows or Android device? Download the Kindle or Kobo app to enjoy our e-books!
Share
Book Details
Format: Paperback (166 pages)
Publisher: Sacristy Press
Date of Publication: 15th March 2021
ISBN: 978-1-78959-161-3
Synopsis
In the present century, from 9/11 to COVID-19, there is much to disturb our securities and beliefs. The Old Testament presents us with similar situations of bewildered suffering, and one persistent theme of response is that of lament. John Holdsworth examines lament as a means of articulating faithful incomprehension, and as a resource for what have been called communities of honest sadness. He traces the development of lament through the Old Testament and questions why it is apparently absent from both the New Testament and much of the life of the Church today, at just the point where many think it could be most useful. Those who work with disabled people and with abuse victims, for example, are realizing the importance of lament. Liturgists are wondering how it can be reintroduced into worship, and whether it is legitimate to do so. Biblical scholars are looking afresh at how and why lament died out. The book brings these various questions and insights together, suggesting that perhaps the early Church got it wrong about lament, and attempting new definitions for communities of honest sadness. It is written not only from the perspective of lived experience in the wider world in such places as Beirut and Bosnia, but also from the intensely painful personal experience of the author’s own bereavement. It will be of interest to all who are reflecting theologically seriously on our times, or supporting others in doing so.
John Holdsworth is Honorary Director of Ministry in the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf and Canon Theologian of the Anglican Cathedral in Nicosia.