Gifford Lecture Series 2003

Gifford Lecture Series 2003

There is grace,

and wonder,

on the way.

But they are hard to see,

hard to embrace,

for those compelled

to wander in darkness.

- poem by an anonymous inmate at

Auschwitz, found on a wall there.

Philosophy has been used to explore religion for centuries. But in recent decades, philosophers have been fascinated by one of the oldest concerns known to us - the problem of suffering.

How can we reconcile the fact that there is suffering in the world with the belief that there is a good God? What can we learn about suffering from reflecting on biblical narratives?

Eleonore Stump, a leading thinker on the philosophy of religion, addresses these questions in six thought-provoking lectures, Wandering in Darkness: Narrative and the problem of suffering, which look at suffering and evil in a new light starting this evening, Tuesday, March 11. Professor Iain Torrance, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Divinity, will chair the event, to be held at King's College Conference Centre at 7.00pm.

Professor Eleonore Stump said: "The problem of suffering has generally been taken to be a challenge to religious belief because it seems hard to reconcile the fact that there is suffering in the world with the belief that there is an omniscient, omnipotent, perfectly good God. This problem is a very old one in philosophy; in recent decades, philosophers have discussed it with increasing technical virtuosity. In these lectures, I consider what can be said about the problem if we approach it with a new methodology that lets philosophical examination be broadened and humanised by a consideration of narratives."

The Gifford Lectures aim to "promote and diffuse the study of Natural Theology in the widest sense of the term - in other words, the knowledge of God". Established under the will of Lord Gifford, a Senator of the College of Justice, who died in 1887, theologians and scholars are invited to deliver lectures at the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews. The lectures are free and open to the public. They take place at 7:00pm tonight (March 11) and on 13, 18, 20, 25 and 27 March.

Search News

Browse by Month

2004

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2004
  12. Dec

2003

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2003

1999

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 1999
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 1999
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

1998

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 1998
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 1998
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 1998
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 1998
  12. Dec