Open this publication in new window or tab >>2023 (English)In: Studia Theologica, ISSN 0039-338X, E-ISSN 1502-7791, Vol. 77, no 1, p. 62-76Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Poetry can contribute to theological and philosophical reflection. In this paper, we concentrate our attention on Esaias Tegner's poignant depiction of melancholy, or what we call "existential suffering" in his poem Spleen. We argue the poem can be interpreted as showing that the distinction between theoretical and existential problems of suffering is less clear-cut than often presupposed and that theorizing about the meaning of suffering can have a role to play even when people are experiencing great existential suffering and despair. Based on the speaker's existential struggles in Spleen, we also formulate the novel concept of a hopeful theodicy, a concept we think can be of use more broadly in future research on problems of suffering and theodicy.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Routledge, 2023
National Category
Religious Studies Philosophy
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-510968 (URN)10.1080/0039338X.2022.2155243 (DOI)000906656300001 ()
Funder
Swedish Research Council
2023-09-062023-09-062023-09-06Bibliographically approved