The Sunday Assembly and Theologies of Suffering

This book explores the Sunday Assembly, a godless congregation, to better deal with suffering, lament, and theodicy. It offers insight into how meaning-making in times of trauma and crisis is changing and challenges churches to resist the avoidance of suffering through the practice of lament.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book delves into the Sunday Assembly, a godless congregation, to explore how the Church can effectively address suffering, lament, and theodicy in the modern world. In the backdrop of a shifting attitudes towards religion, humans are more interconnected than ever before, carrying the weight of the world's suffering in our pockets. Amid these complex issues, the Sunday Assembly offers valuable insights into how meaning-making in times of trauma and crisis is evolving.

Drawing on practical theology and employing ethnographic research methods, the book includes findings from interviews and observations conducted with the Sunday Assembly in London and Edinburgh. It examines the Sunday Assembly's philosophy of celebrating life and explores what this means in practice. At times, this emphasis on celebration can lead to the marginalization or brief acknowledgment of suffering. In response, the book considers a similar tendency within white Protestant churches to avoid explicit discussions of challenging issues.

This book challenges churches to confront the avoidance of suffering through the practice of lament. The insights offered in this book hold particular relevance for scholars of Religious Studies, Practical Theology, Secularism, and Atheism/Non-religion.

Weight: 294g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367535650