Contextually Relevant Theodicies for Pastoral Care

Abstract

This article is an attempt to construct contextually relevant theodicies for pastoral caretakers who have complex realities of suffering and evil. In a postmodern era, traditional theodicy cannot be contextually relevant or meaningful enough for complex human predicaments. Traditionally, theodicy has been constructed as a way of defending God. It has focused primarily on God's goodness and almighty power rather than the reality of human suffering and evil. God’s compassion has not been applied enough into constructing traditional theodicy. This article, based on the personal relationship between God and human beings, tries to focus mainly on exploring the reality of human predicaments, seeking constructing contextually relevant theodicies for practicing pastoral care. In the process of constructing a new theodicy, eventually the sufferer needs to have an experience of empathizing with God and God with the sufferer as well. For this experience, a deep and open questioning about our predicaments is required. Approaching the end of our journey of questioning we should experience the mutually communion of heart with heart in our personal relationship with God. Lastly, this article presents three steps to construct a contextually relevant theodicy for practicing pastoral care: 1) deeply questioning in human predicaments–completing the unfinished question, 2) empathizing with God–encountering God personally, and 3) constructing a new theodicy. Through our wholehearted and desperate questioning about suffering and resisting evil, we can start a journey of constructing a new theodicy. Pastoral caregivers need to elaborate and appropriate the process of constructing new theodicies in order to practice a contextually relevant pastoral care.