Thesis advisor: Catherine Cornille / The Christian ecological tradition rejects problematic dualisms that separate and hierarchically value the body and soul, humans and creation, man and woman, etc. Ecofeminist theology seeks to provide alternatives that better recognize the interconnectedness of life overall, yet it has not fully responded to the dualism of life and death. This is evident in the work of Ivone Gebara, a leading ecofeminist theologian who addresses life, death, and resurrection within a more immanent understanding of the Trinity. Though she argues for a more ambiguous understanding of good and evil, creation and destruction, life and death, the tensions between these categories are never fully resolved. This is where the Hindu tradition, and in particular the Kali tradition of Hinduism, may shed new light on the Christian understanding of death as part of creation and of its interconnection with all life. The goddess Kali in particular is often referred to as the mistress of death, or death itself, and as such she does not protect her devotees from the inevitability of life, suffering, and death. Instead, Kali reveals the mortality of all life and frees devotees to embody their own fate and accept their own death as she grants them liberation from samsara (the continuous cycle of dying and rebirth into the world of materiality). Gebara advocates against hierarchical dualisms of good and evil, creation and destruction, life and death, where Kali already embodies the tension of these polarities, even the transcendence of them altogether. Even though there are fundamental differences between Hindu and Christian worldviews and conceptions of the divine, the figure of Kali addresses traditional tensions between life and death and between creation and salvation, and thus inspires a more integral liberation for all creation. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2024. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

This dissertation explores theologies of suffering through engagement with five theologians from across fifteen centuries of the Christian tradition: Gregory the Great, Julian of Norwich, Jeremy Taylor, C.S. Lewis and Ivone Gebara. It uses a typological method to examine the types of responses that are advocated by each theologian, and the relation of their responses to five theological touchstones: Humanity, Sin and Evil; God’s Providence; Salvation; Christ; and Eternal Life. The Introductory Chapter provides an exploration of the definitions and etymologies of suffering and grief; a description of the typological method; an examination of notable relevant literature; and an introduction to the five thinkers. Chapter One is an examination of the life and writings of the 6th century pope Gregory the Great, with particular focus on The Book of the Pastoral Rule and Moralia. Gregory understands suffering to be a discipline sent by God to the faithful. Chapter Two is an examination of the life and Revelations text of the 13th century English mystic Julian of Norwich, who focuses on the reward God desires to give those who suffer. Chapter Three is an examination of the life and writings of 17th century Anglican bishop Jeremy Taylor, with particular focus on Holy Living and Holy Dying. Taylor places an emphasis on the lifelong practice of faithfulness in preparation for death. Chapter Four is an examination of the life and writings of 20th century Anglican theologian and author C. S. Lewis, with particular attention to The Problem of Pain, The Chronicles of Narnia, A Grief Observed, and Letters to Malcom. Lewis offers the example of one who is willing to engage with the depth of his grief and to question God on his road to acceptance. Chapter Five is an examination of the life and writings of contemporary Brazilian, feminist and liberation theologian Ivone Gebara, with particular focus on her book Out of the Depths and her engagement with Latin American author Isabel Allende. Gebara questions traditional understandings of suffering, as well as when suffering is to be accepted and when suffering is unjust and should be combated. The Concluding Chapter constructs a contemporary theology of suffering drawing on the insights and wrestling with the challenges raised by the varying perspectives of the five theologians. The goal is to provide a hopeful and nuanced way of thinking theologically about suffering for contemporary Christians. The contemporary theology affirms the importance of the call, found in Gebara, to combat unjust suffering through acts of love and mercy, while also affirming that acceptance of the reality of endemic suffering, found in all five theologians, can provide one with opportunities to grow spiritually, live more faithfully and to experience the blessings in the midst of suffering that are a foretaste of heavenly bliss.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:19:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ivna 2014docx.pdf: 727686 bytes, checksum: a425a1fcb71cc2b58960eb09fefef5d7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The present research conducts a study about evil based on the book Quincas Borba, by Machado de Assis, under the theological and philosophical viewpoint as the subject has raised several questions in both fields of knowledge. At one time, we intend to indicate that it is possible that a literary work may inspire a theological and philosophical thought without being necessary to prove the religious faith or to unveil a philosophical theory established by the writer. For that purpose, we suggest as authors the theologians Andrés Torres Queiruga, Juan Antonio Estrada, and Ivone Gebara, as well as the philosophers Paul Ric ur, Blaise Pascal and Arthur Schopenhauer. At the same time, we emphasize the Book of Ecclesiastes, of which the carioca writer was a constant reader. Therefore we aim at highlighting and understanding more deeply in the above mentioned book the presence of evil in its most varied aspects in human relations. / A presente pesquisa apresenta um estudo sobre o mal a partir da leitura da obra Quincas Borba, de Machado de Assis, tendo como referência um viés da teologia e da filosofia uma vez que este problema historicamente suscitou questionamentos em ambos os campos do conhecimento. Concomitantemente, pretendemos apontar para a possibilidade de uma obra literária fazer surgir uma reflexão teológica e filosófica, sem contanto, ser necessário provar a religiosidade do escritor ou desvelar uma doutrina filosófica criada pelo mesmo. Para tanto, propomos como autores de base os teólogos Andrés Torres Queiruga, Juan Antonio Estrada, e a teóloga Ivone Gebara, e os filósofos Paul Ric ur, Blaise Pascal e Arthur Schopenhauer. Ao mesmo tempo, damos uma relevância ao livro do Eclesiastes, do qual o escritor carioca era leitor assíduo. Com isso, pretendemos evidenciar e compreender mais profundamente na já mencionada obra machadiana a presença do mal em suas mais facetadas manifestações nas relações humanas.