In
God of All Comfort: A Trinitarian Response to the Horrors of This World (Lexham Press, 2019), the
Rev. Dr. Scott Harrower, Lecturer in Christian Thought at Ridley College, takes on the tremendous topic: the problem of horrific evil that seems to omnipresent in today’s world. This new book covers topics ranging from pop culture and zombie movies to metaphysics and complex theological thought.
Horror, as Harrower describes it, is the opposite of
shalom, but even horrible things can point people to the restorative peace and love of the Trinity. In the interview, we walk through the three-part outline of the book, while sharing his pastoral and medical perspective regarding tragedy and trauma.
This ministerial perspective shines through both the book and the interview, in that complicated and distressing material is handled in a practical and yet gentle way. Philosophers and chaplains alike will appreciate the exploration of topics such as theodicy, the communal effects of suffering, and discussion concerning language and terms having to do with horror.
Will Sipling is a Catholic Studies Scholar fellow, graduate assistant, and MA student at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota). Will previously studied for a master’s degree at Dallas Theological Seminary, writing a thesis on sacramental and liturgical theology. His research interests include asceticism and monasticism, ecumenism, and Anglicanism. You can follow his work at williamsipling.com or at @WSipling.