Beautiful and Terrible Things: A Christian Struggle with Suffering, Grief, and Hope
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
Bible scholar Christian Brady, an expert on Old Testament lament, was as prepared as a person could be for the death of a child—which is to say, not nearly well enough. When his eight-year-old son died suddenly from a fast-moving blood infection, Brady heard the typical platitudes about accepting God’s will and knew that quiet acceptance was not the only godly way to grieve.
With deep faith, knowledge of Scripture, and the wisdom that comes only from experience, Brady guides readers grieving losses and setbacks of all kinds in voicing their lament to God, reflecting on the nature of human existence, and persevering in hope. Brady finds that rather than an image of God managing every event and action in our lives, the biblical account describes the very real world in which we all live, a world full of hardship and calamity that often comes unbidden and unmerited. Yet, it also is a world into which God lovingly intrudes to bring comfort, peace, and grace.
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- Shows that quiet acceptance is not the only godly way to grieve.
- Guides readers grieving losses and setbacks of all kinds in voicing their lament to God.
- Invites to reflect on the nature of human existence.
- Prologue
- 1. Attending to a Broken Heart
- 2. Finding Solace in Shared Stories
- 3. Taking Small Steps Daily
- 4. Trusting Ourselves in the Midst of Grief
- 5. Allowing Time for the Long Season of Sorrow
- 6. Receiving Grace along the Journey
- 7. Savoring Solitude
- 8. Seeking Companions along the Way
- 9. Encouraging Creativity to Ease the Pain
- 10. Designing Rituals of Meaning
- 11. Nurturing Hope in Nature
- 12. Discovering the Healing Power of Forgiveness
- Conclusion: Doorway into Thanks
- Discussion Guide for Parents and Grief Groups
Bible scholar Brady mines scripture and his own experiences of grief in this touching testament to the value of hope after a tragedy…. This thoughtful and heartfelt inquiry into biblical lessons on suffering will satisfy any theologically inclined Christian.
—Publishers Weekly
Brady’s sensitivity to his grief and his varied background provides something for a wide audience. The book is both intensely personal and clear-eyed, unflinching yet hopeful.
—Library Journal
Through Brady’s story, we are witnesses to a comprehensive theological reflection on suffering, grief and hope. It is a lament that moves both Brady and his readers to praise and hope, while rooted in the world where unexplained suffering visits the innocent and undeserving.
—The Presbyterian Outlook
- Title: Beautiful and Terrible Things: A Christian Struggle with Suffering, Grief, and Hope
- Author: Christian M. M. Brady
- Publisher: Westminster John Knox
- Print Publication Date: 2020
- Pages: 176
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
- ISBNs: 9780664266127, 0664266126
- Resource ID: LLS:BTFLTRRBLTGRFHP
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-09-17T14:16:38Z