The Roots of Sorrow

A Pastoral Theology of Suffering

by Phil C. Zylla

Published by: Baylor University Press

Imprint: Baylor University Press

What are humans to do--and how should caregivers respond--when faced with the reality of anguish? The Roots of Sorrow addresses the sometimes painful questions that surround human suffering. By integrating...

Sales Date: 2012-09-16

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ISBN 9781602586321
220 Pages

$34.99

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ISBN 9781602587700
220 Pages

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ISBN 9781602586338
220 Pages

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Description
Contents
Authors
Praise

What are humans to do--and how should caregivers respond--when faced with the reality of anguish? The Roots of Sorrow addresses the sometimes painful questions that surround human suffering. By integrating concrete examples with personal stories of adversity and sorrow, Phil Zylla constructs a pastoral theology that situates itself within the very core of suffering. Resisting the natural tendency to flee from the pain of sorrow, Zylla empowers professionals to help others face suffering directly and honestly.

Part I

Introduction: The Roots of Sorrow

1. Common Explanations of Suffering

2. Components of a Theology of Suffering

Part II

3. From Silence to Lament

4. From Indifference to Compassion

5. From Loneliness to Community

Part III

6. The Suffering of Creation

7. The Subtle Persistence of Hope

Conclusion: Ministry with the Afflicted

Bibliography

Index

Phil C. Zylla is Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where he teaches on pastoral care and the theology of suffering. He has served several churches as a senior pastor and is the author of Virtue as Consent to Being. He lives in Ontario.

A beautifully conceived and thoughtfully written book. Zylla's theological reflections emerge from a deep personal wrestling with the devastating realities of human suffering.
~Donald Capps, Emeritus Professor of Pastoral Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary

Phil Zylla shows a unique ability to create a tapestry that weaves together a theology of suffering with a substantive approach to pastoral care and an understanding of the actual experience of pain.
~Rod Wilson, President, Regent College

This is one of those rare volumes that is deeply grounded in the lived reality of human beings and, at the same time, offers vibrant examples of rigorous theological reflection and hope. All will learn more of the patient presence required for those who are called to minister to the afflicted.
~David Hogue, Professor of Pastoral Theology and Counseling, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

The Roots of Sorrow is as competent theologically as it is courageous pastorally. Zylla exposes the roots of sorrow with unflinching honesty, compassion, and hope. A rare book of profound and practical wisdom.
~Margaret Whipp, Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford, UK