Lament, Death, and Destiny (original) (raw)

Richard Hughes clearly states that the aim of Lament, Death, and Destiny is " to explore ancient traditions of lament, particularly prayers of lament in the Bible, as a resource for Christian theology " (1). As a framework for this exploration he compares and contrasts the notion of providence and the practice of lament throughout history. This forms the basis of the argument that a gradual disappearance of lament has been precipitated by an emphasis on the idea of providence. Hughes states that " One of the purposes of this study is to explore the reasons for a shift from lament to providence and to argue that the neglect of lament has prevented a realistic confrontation with suffering and death. " (xvi) In his preface Richard Hughes paints a vivid picture of his world as a student within the broader world context of the 1960s. As a result his research ostensibly emerged from the socio-cultural milieu of the 1960s and his explorations in the field of philosophy. His major focus became the life and thought of Tillich and his proposal of a polemic between fate and destiny. Hughes argues that scholars, including Tillich, " …lived amid oppressive political regimes, characterized by hostile elements of fate, and they struggled to achieve a sense of freedom beyond theodicy and a theology in which God works out everything for the best. They experienced events working out for the worst. " He also adds that more recent events such as September 11, 2001 have added impetus to the exploration of suffering and death as a response to such traumatic events. In the introduction it is clearly stated that laments are " preconceptual cries of pain and suffering within the context of faith " (1). The significance of this for Hughes' approach cannot be understated. As these ideas are developed it is made clear that lament is not something which is contrived or necessarily thoughtful. It simply is. However, this " preconceptual " cry does have context. Lament is clearly expressed within faith and not outside of it. This forms a foundational premise for Hughes as he argues for the ubiquitous presence of lament from an existential standpoint which is firmly embedded within a framework of religious faith. He argues convincingly from history and literature that the production of laments as this kind of response to trauma, be it personal or public, is abundant. In addition to these ideas the reader is alerted to the narrative nature of lament which acts as a reminder, a validation and helps " to rescue them (traumatic events) from the horror of being forgotten " (5). The language of lament is also highlighted by Hughes as being metaphorical and polysemic in nature, able to accommodate images and symbols which otherwise might not be expressed. Unfortunately he fails at this point to explore the poetic style of the lament language as found particularly in the case of Biblical psalms. Despite this omission he does justifiably highlight the prominent place lament has in the process of grief work for both individuals and groups recovering from traumatic events.