Does God Suffer

The immense suffering of the modern world has had a profound impact on one's understanding of God and his relationship to human suffering. The growing consensus that God himself suffers in solidarity and love with the wounded ones needs re-examination. This course addresses the question of impassibility-passibility from the biblical, historical, theological and pastoral perspectives. Basic to the course are these questions: (a) Is a God who is impassible more loving and compassionate than a suffering God? (b) How do Christology, soteriology and Trinity interact in one's formulation of a doctrine of God? (c) How does one counsel those who suffer, if God is an unmoved mover or the apathetic deity?