how do modern theologians make sense of tragedy when it happens to faithful, God-oriented believers, especially within the Church?
This question has been wrestled with deeply in modern theology, pastoral care, and biblical studies. Below is a synthesis of what modern theologians (broadly Protestant, Evangelical, and some Catholic perspectives) have said regarding this issue:
1. The Reality of Suffering in a Fallen World
Theological Insight:
Tragedy is not a sign of God’s absence, but a consequence of living in a world broken by sin.
Theologians like N.T. Wright emphasize that we live in the “already/not yet” tension of the Kingdom of God: God has already inaugurated His Kingdom through Christ, but we still await its full realization (Romans 8:18–25). As such, pain, suffering, and injustice still occur—even to the faithful.
N.T. Wright in Evil and the Justice of God (2006):
“The New Testament never says that God’s people won’t suffer. What it promises is that God will be with them in their suffering and will redeem it.”
Miroslav Volf, a theologian who has experienced war and displacement, adds that evil doesn’t invalidate God’s goodness but reveals our urgent need for eschatological hope and divine justice.
2. God’s Presence in the Midst of Suffering
Theological Insight:
God does not always deliver from suffering, but promises to be with us in suffering.
Jürgen Moltmann, in The Crucified God, argues that God is not aloof or distant in our suffering—He suffers with us. The cross of Christ is the ultimate sign that God enters into human pain, and thus no tragedy can separate us from His love.
Moltmann: “Only a suffering God can help.”
This means when a faithful believer suffers, it’s not a failure of their faith or God’s protection, but rather an echo of Christ’s own suffering. Their pain is not meaningless, because God is with them and feels it.
3. The Mystery of Providence and Free Will
Theological Insight:
Tragedies happen not always because God wills them, but because God grants humans freedom, and the world is corrupted by sin.
John Stott (in The Cross of Christ) reminds us that we must hold the sovereignty of God in tension with human free will and the reality of evil. God’s will is not the cause of every tragedy; some events happen because human beings abuse their freedom.
Tim Keller, in Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, writes:
“Suffering is at the heart of the Christian story. Suffering is the result of sin entering the world, not necessarily personal sin.
But Christianity alone makes the claim that God himself suffered, so we can trust Him when we suffer.”
4. Tragedy as a Catalyst for Deeper Faith and Community Response
Theological Insight:
While God may not prevent every tragedy, He can use it to form Christlikeness and awaken the Church’s compassion.
Theologians emphasize that the Church is called to respond to tragedy with presence, lament, and action. Henri Nouwen wrote about the “wounded healer”—how those who have suffered deeply can minister to others.
Stanley Hauerwas, a theological ethicist, often reminds the Church that we are shaped not just by beliefs, but by how we endure and bear witness in suffering.
“The task of the Church is not to explain away suffering, but to learn how to suffer faithfully.”
5. Summary: What Modern Theology Says About Tragedy and Believers
| Theme | Key Message | Representative Theologians |
|---|---|---|
| The World is Broken | Suffering is a result of sin and brokenness, not God’s absence. | N.T. Wright, Keller |
| God Suffers With Us | Through the cross, God joins us in our suffering. | Moltmann, Stott |
| Mystery of Providence | Human freedom and evil exist within God’s sovereign plan. | Keller, Volf |
| Redemptive Suffering | God can redeem tragedy to form faith and ministry. | Nouwen, Hauerwas |
| Church’s Responsibility | The Church must lament, protect, and respond wisely. | Hauerwas, Wright |
A Word of Pastoral Encouragement
Modern theology does not offer simplistic answers—it offers a faithful framework to lament, trust, and walk in hope. Tragedy is not proof of God’s failure, but a call to deeper solidarity with Christ who also suffered.
“He was despised and rejected… a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”
— Isaiah 53:3