Resilient Religion, Resilience and Heartbreaking Adversity

A resilience theory on religion needs to answer four
questions. What defines the kind of adversity which is
addressed in religion? What is characteristic for processes
of resilience in religion? What defines resilient religion
as outcome? Which logic of inference (epistemology) based on
our beliefs and experiences about reality binds these three
elements together? The book starts with mapping the field of
resilience theory on religion by addressing all four
questions. The need for thinking about Christian resilience
and the God symbol is addressed, and the need to be
"explicitly contextual" with regard to resilience in South
Africa. Next three types practices of religious acting are
related to experiences of resilience, namely preaching,
narrating and discerning. In the last chapters the focus is
on the way stories help to express feelings of experiences
of crises, tragedy, and trauma. But also how stories can
help heal the broken heart.

Prof Chris A.M. Hermans is extraordinary
professor in
practical theology and missiology at the University of the
Free State (South Africa). He is emeritus professor in
pastoral theology at Radboud University (the
Netherlands).and emeritus professor in empirical study of
religion as Radboud University (the Netherlands).

Prof. Kobus (W.J.) Schoeman is professor of practical
theology at the University of the Free State (South
Africa).