Religion as an Aid for Coping with Evil?: Confronting the Coping Thesis with Barthâs Reflections on Nothingness

Petruschka Schaafsma

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Religion as an Aid for Coping with Evil?: Confronting the Coping Thesis with Barthâs Reflections on Nothingness

In: Wrestling with God and with Evil

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Petruschka Schaafsma

Petruschka Schaafsma
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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 187â195

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789401204019_014

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The idea that religion provides ideas and practices that help people cope with evil is widespread. It may be used in a neutral way to define the function of religion but can also be used by both adversaries and advocates of religion. Thus religion may be criticized for âeasy coping,â for providing cheap, comforting theories. Religion may also be appreciated for giving an anchor or focus to life in hard times. In this paper, the coping thesis and the presuppositions behind it are confronted with the example of Karl Barthâs view of evil and Christian belief. Barth deals with evil under the term das Nichtige and aims to understand Godâs relation to it. He criticizes the idea that human beings by themselves can know what evil is and how they should cope with it. Thus, Barthâs view seems to differ on important points from the coping thesis. What does this mean for the value of this thesis?

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Wrestling with God and with Evil

Philosophical Reflections

Series:Â Currents of Encounter, Volume: 31Â andÂ Currents of Encounter Online, Volume: 31

E-Book ISBN:: 9789401204019

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 01 Jan 2007

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African Studies	Education	Media Studies
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Biblical Studies	Jewish Studies	Slavic and Eurasian Studies
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Book History and Cartography	Life Sciences	Theology and World Christianity
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Religion as an Aid for Coping with Evil?: Confronting the Coping Thesis with Barthâs Reflections on Nothingness

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Wrestling with God and with Evil

Philosophical Reflections

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Religion as an Aid for Coping with Evil?: Confronting the Coping Thesis with Barthâs Reflections on Nothingness