Spiritual Complaint

Personal and communal tragedies provoke intense emotions. In Scripture, these emotions were given expression in complaints or laments, the latter being the most frequent genre of psalm. Laments are found throughout the Bible, also appearing in Prophets (the book of Lamentations is in fact named for this human response to tragedy). Yet neither lament nor complaint seems to be widely practiced in churches today, except at times of extreme communal catastrophe. Bringing together biblical scholars, liturgists, and practical theologians, this book begins to provide bridges between the Biblical and contemporary worlds in order to enrich our ability to respond appropriately to personal and communal tragedy and to understand those responses. Miriam J. Bier teaches Old Testament at the London School of Theology. Tim Bulkeley has taught Old Testament at the Université Protestante du Congo, the University of Auckland, and at Carey Baptist College. 'An intriguing and helpful exploration of the biblical traditions of lament and penitential prayer, and their relevance to contemporary church and society. The context of the Christchurch earthquakes gives the book a particular poignancy.' Iain Provan, Professor of Biblical Studies, Regent College, Vancouver. 'Suffering is part of life, and there are times when pain faces us with such gruesome fierceness we are rocked to the core. . . . Spiritual Complaint is a salve for those who are wounded in a broken world. It teaches us how to wrestle with God faithfully, in prayer and tears and worship. Far from being simplistic in its instruction, however, this provides nuance and depth on how to negotiate pain on the foundation of biblical exemplars. I highly recommend this much-needed resource.' Heath A. Thomas, Associate Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.