The Roots of Sorrow

Phil C. Zylla is Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where he teaches on pastoral care and the theology of suffering. He has served several churches as a senior pastor and is the author of Virtue as Consent to Being. He lives in Ontario.

Part I Introduction: The Roots of Sorrow 1. Common Explanations of Suffering 2. Components of a Theology of Suffering Part II 3. From Silence to Lament 4. From Indifference to Compassion 5. From Loneliness to Community Part III 6. The Suffering of Creation 7. The Subtle Persistence of Hope Conclusion: Ministry with the Afflicted Bibliography Index

"A beautifully conceived and thoughtfully written book. Zylla's theological reflections emerge from a deep personal wrestling with the devastating realities of human suffering." --Donald Capps, Emeritus Professor of Pastoral Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary "Phil Zylla shows a unique ability to create a tapestry that weaves together a theology of suffering with a substantive approach to pastoral care and an understanding of the actual experience of pain." --Rod Wilson, President, Regent College "This is one of those rare volumes that is deeply grounded in the lived reality of human beings and, at the same time, offers vibrant examples of rigorous theological reflection and hope. All will learn more of the patient presence required for those who are called to minister to the afflicted." --David Hogue, Professor of Pastoral Theology and Counseling, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary " The Roots of Sorrow is as competent theologically as it is courageous pastorally. Zylla exposes the roots of sorrow with unflinching honesty, compassion, and hope. A rare book of profound and practical wisdom." --Margaret Whipp, Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford, UK