Jurgen Moltmann's Theology of Hope and the Suffering God

Theology is essentially practical in nature. Good theology deal with the cry of the soul in our world. Admittedly at this time, the challenges to Christian belief is so prevalent, and it has been actually boasted by the very bold statement of Nietzsche in the past, who famously declared "God is dead". Where is God in the midst of our tragedy? The Death-of God movement has brought us to what we call, 'The Post-Christian age' which has raised many skeptics. Given this background in mind, Theologians are often tries to give a logical explanation for the problem of suffering but forget to emphasize the eschatological aplogia, the very core of  Theology itself. Moltmann says:

"Eschatology, and with it hope, should not be placed in brackets as an appendix to Theology: Theology must make eschatology the very medium of its thought "

The dialectical event of Crucifixion and Resurrection cannot be separated. If we stop in Crucifixion only, it might be the heyday for the Death of God Movement. However, the resurrection of Jesus Christ cancel their moves and raise a dimension of hope, a total renewal as it was promised in the Scripture. Nevertheless, Moltmann carefully expresses that Resurrection validates hope but does not fulfills the hope completely. Its lefts some space to be completed in time to come. Although the resurrection was an important historical event, the eschatological implications is extensive beyond doubt for without the moment of Resurrection, there is simply no hope for the world at all.

        Not just Resurrection orients the history to one ultimate Telos, the Resurrection let the future event intercept into present. By this, the true history now exits for there is a possibility of openness for the future. Not just that, resurrection at the same time, define and provide an ultimate hope for the value of history itself. The Death of God Movement has put a clear stance on the closeness of history. Knowing the future is impossible. But as Christian, we have a vividly open history that will leads us to a sure end, to God Himself. Plus, we have known and experienced the future albeit we have not arrived yet and this could possibly happened, only through the work of Christ, in the dialectical tension of crucifixion and Resurrection. Motlmann once says,

 "The knowledge of Christ become anticipatory, provisional

and fragmentary knowledge of His future." 

Thus, as Christian, as we encounter suffering in life we know that apparently, we are not walking in a wrong track in life, but we are heading in a right track of glory, and no one could ever alter. Assuring as it is, besides Theology of Hope, Motmann Theology of Suffering God is actually provide a comforting implication as well. God is not only in the future but he closes to us, in our tears, through the Cross. Moltman's Theology depart from Western notion of God (Impassible) and he borrow the Eastern Orthodox notion of God (Passible). The God is capable and able to experience suffering. By this approach, God is not only stand as a forum between Man and the Question of Suffering, but God himself Incorporated in it. God is at the heart of  Theodicy, as  God the Father and the Son experiences suffering, like we do, at the cross! God is the God who bears and completely understand our suffering since He uses the way of suffering to redeemed us and to portray his glory. Hence, as Christian, suffering is not a sign of the absence of God, but the presence of God. It is the hallmark of our faith. Meanwhile, we need to stay firm, as we waiting for the fulfillment of His certain promise with a burning hope.