What is redemptive suffering?

 

At its core, redemptive suffering is the belief that suffering can have meaning and can contribute to spiritual growth, compassion, healing, or even the good of others when it is united with a higher purpose.

In Catholic theology, the concept is closely tied to the suffering of Jesus on the cross. Since Christ's suffering is seen as redemptive, believers are encouraged to "offer up" their own sufferings in union with his. The idea is not that human suffering adds something missing to Christ's work, but that individuals can participate in that work through their own trials. A Catholic might pray:

"I offer this pain for my family, for the souls in purgatory, or for someone who is suffering."

This is often called offering it up.

Other Christian traditions approach the idea differently:

• Eastern Orthodox Christianity often emphasizes suffering as a path toward spiritual transformation and union with God.
• Many Protestant traditions are more cautious about the phrase "redemptive suffering" because they want to avoid any suggestion that human suffering earns salvation. However, they frequently teach that God can bring good out of suffering and use it to deepen faith and character.
• Some evangelical Christians speak of suffering as "sanctifying" rather than "redemptive."

Beyond Christianity, there are related ideas:

• Judaism contains traditions that wrestle with the meaning of suffering, though generally with more resistance to seeing suffering itself as spiritually desirable.
• Buddhism begins with the observation that suffering is part of life and focuses on transforming one's relationship to it.
• Many secular philosophies find meaning in suffering through resilience, service, sacrifice, or personal growth.

An important distinction: redemptive suffering is not the same as seeking suffering or remaining in harmful situations. Most Christian traditions would say that illness should be treated, injustice should be opposed, and abuse should be escaped. The idea is about finding meaning in suffering that cannot be avoided, not glorifying suffering for its own sake.

A simple example might be a parent caring for a severely disabled child through years of exhaustion and sacrifice. The suffering itself is painful and unwanted, but many would say it becomes "redemptive" because it is transformed by love and serves another person's good.

In fact, many people who are not religious recognize a version of the idea. They might not call it redemptive suffering, but they understand that some hardships, when borne with courage, patience, or love, can produce something valuable that would not otherwise exist. The suffering is not good, but what grows from it can be.

image and some content from AI

post inspired by Blest Atheist by Elizabeth Mahlou

Book Description:

As a young child, outraged by the hypocrisy she finds in a church that does nothing to alleviate the physical and sexual abuse she experiences on a regular basis, Beth delivers an accusatory youth sermon and gets her family expelled from the church. Having locked the door on God, Beth goes on to raise a family of seven children, learn 17 languages, and enjoy a career that takes her to NASA, Washington, and 24 countries. All the time, however, God keeps knocking at the door, protecting and blessing her, which she realizes only decades later.
Ultimately, Beth finds God in a very simple yet most unusual way.
A very human story, Blest Atheist encompasses the greatest literary themes of all time – alienation, redemption, and even the miraculous. The author’s life experiences, both tragic and tremendous, result in a spiritual journey containing significant ups and downs that ultimately yield great joy and humility.

Book review

Brendan M. Howard

Flawed protagonist, honest struggles

DISCLAIMER: I received this book as an early review copy.

Elizabeth Mahlou's autobiography and tale of coming to believe in God has a lot going for it.

Her candid descriptions of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of relatives gripped this reader in a flood of sympathy and horror. Mahlou's great reserve of optimism and compassion as child and adult seems initially boastful. But in light of her life of childhood trauma, physically and mentally challenged children of her own, her commendable hunt for intellectual success, and a cycle of poverty that she constantly fights to escape, readers will find themselves rooting for Mahlou more than most any other autobiographical subject in English letters. The story of her hurts and triumphs, unlike those of writers reeling from the obscene horrors of the Holocaust, horrific genocidal wars, or horrendous serial killing drama, is scary in its possibility. Parents who don't know how not to hit their kids? Medical and educational leaders who blindly try to force or refuse treatment to her children? These are realities for many, and her strength will be succor to those fighting against establishment figures.

But Mahlou's chief reason for writing this very personal tale is not to offer succor, but to tell the story of how an atheist came to believe in God. As a very intelligent, very compassionate nonbeliever-turned-Christian, Mahlou is a captivating example of religion's pull even for those who aren't writhing in self-pity, aren't blind to all but childish reasons for religious belief and aren't obediently following their parents' and parents' belief systems.

This is a tale of belief hard-fought-against, wisely considered, and spiritually experienced.

For more posts about Elizabeth Mahlou and her books, click HERE.

For more posts about religious conversion, click HERE.

For more posts about atheism, click HERE.

For more posts about spirituality, click HERE.

For more posts about God, click HERE.

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