Szenvedés és segítség. Reflexiók a Jób könyvében található párbeszédekre

Abstract

Suffering and Help. Reflections on the Dialogues in the Book of Job. The issue of human suffering is not exclusively a theological one. Many other branches of the social sciences have tried to find a fulfilling answer to this deeply shaking and existential dilemma. The arts have also tried, with the help of their characteristic means, not only to immortalize it, but express it, visualize it, and draw inspiration from it. And Man has tried to cope with it with help of his closest ally, by rebelling against it; with more or less success, especially less. Personal suffering does not concern only the sufferer, but his surroundings, as well. By witnessing suffering and sufferers, one wants to automatically help those in need. Nowadays, all of this is done by skillful professionals, trying to solve the problems caused by suffering with the help of empirically tested strategies. One of these is the science of pastoral psychology, which finds itself, mainly, at the intersection of two other branches, theology and psychology. This is why we decided on undertaking the task of analyzing a Biblical book with the means of pastoral psychology. Our assumption is that this will get us closer to a proper understanding of the book in question. The aforementioned branch of the social sciences will shed a fresh hermeneutical light on this issue.