Facing the Abusing God: A Theology of ProtestWestminster John Knox Press, 1993 M01 1 - 318 pages In this powerful book, David Blumenthal maintains that having faith in a post-Holocaust world means admitting that while God is often loving and kind, fair and merciful, God is also capable of acts so unjust they can only be described as abusive. Grounding his argument in Scripture and in the experience of Holocaust survivors and of survivors of child abuse, Blumenthal grapples with how to face a God who has worked "wondrously through us" and who has worked "aw(e)fully against us." Delving into Jewish literary and theological traditions, the author articulates a theology of protest which accepts God as God is, yet defends the innocence of those who are utterly victimized. |
Contents
Personality | 11 |
Holiness | 23 |
Universes of Discourse | 33 |
Seriatim or Sailing into the Wind | 47 |
Intimations | 57 |
Psalm 128 with four commentaries | 67 |
Psalm 44 with four commentaries | 85 |
Psalm 109 with four commentaries | 111 |
Prelude | 193 |
Dialogue with a Systematic Theologian | 211 |
Prologue | 235 |
Facing the Abusing God | 249 |
Addressing the Abusing God | 265 |
Glossary | 301 |
311 | |
Psalm 27 with four commentaries | 157 |
Common terms and phrases
Adonay anger biblical blessing Blumenthal book of Job child abuse cited comfort commentary CON-VERSES covenant curse David Dear Diane Elie Wiesel emotional enemies ethical evil experience faith Father fear feel Feuer forgiveness God's Face Hacham heart Hebrew hence Heschel holocaust holy human humankind Ibn Ezra interpretation Israel Jerusalem Jewish Jews Judaism King language Laytner liturgy live Lord Maimonides Malbim meaning midrash Mishna moral mystical Name one's ongoing pain parents person personalist post-holocaust prayer presence psalmist psychological Rabbi rage Rashi realm relatedness religious affection religious healing response righteous rooted Scripture seek sefirot sense seriatim sexual Shabbat sins soul SPARKS speak spiritual suffering Talmud teaches theologian theology theology of image tion Torah tradition translation trust truth understand universe of discourse verse victim voice wicked Wiesel words YHVH York Zohar אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ וְלֹא יְיָ כִּי לֹא עַל