Positive Loss and Tragic Memory: On the Preservation of Community

TY - JOUR

T1 - Positive Loss and Tragic Memory: On the Preservation of Community

AU - Gregersen, Niels Henrik

PY - 2017/12

Y1 - 2017/12

N2 - Theologies of disaster have to recognize exceptional disasters in the framework of a general human exposure to vulnerability, while engaging in the formation of human and religious resilience. Resilience is about “bouncing back and forward” in and through precautionary and self-adaptive responses to disasters. Drawing up a distinction between personal tragedies and socially shared disasters, the basic argument is that the reconnection of disrupted communities lies at the center of both tragedy and disaster. This article describes a post-secular theology of tragedy and disaster that mainly stays in a vernacular language, referring to basic assumptions of the gospel while refraining from using the heavier repertoires of Christian doctrine.

AB - Theologies of disaster have to recognize exceptional disasters in the framework of a general human exposure to vulnerability, while engaging in the formation of human and religious resilience. Resilience is about “bouncing back and forward” in and through precautionary and self-adaptive responses to disasters. Drawing up a distinction between personal tragedies and socially shared disasters, the basic argument is that the reconnection of disrupted communities lies at the center of both tragedy and disaster. This article describes a post-secular theology of tragedy and disaster that mainly stays in a vernacular language, referring to basic assumptions of the gospel while refraining from using the heavier repertoires of Christian doctrine.

U2 - 10.1111/dial.12356

DO - 10.1111/dial.12356

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0012-2033

VL - 56

SP - 361

EP - 372

JO - Dialog

JF - Dialog

IS - 4

ER -