Compassionate Theodicy and Psychological Resilience
Insights From Voss-Based Research
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19230875 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jahdiel Perez (0000-0001-9306-916X, Villanova University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-24 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Psychology and Theology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0091-6471 • E-ISSN: 2328-1162 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00916471261434177 |
| OpenAlex | W7155529845 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 44 |
Compassionate theodicy (CT), recently theorized by Bethany Sollereder, proposes a new paradigm for evaluating theodicies based on their psychological utility for individuals who suffer. While CT suggests that theodicies can foster resilience, the cognitive processes underlying this effect remain unclear. This article addresses that gap by integrating Crystal Park’s Meaning-Making Model and Janoff-Bulman’s Shattered Assumptions Theory to explain how benevolent theodical beliefs may help restore meaning and coherence following trauma. Drawing on 14 empirical studies employing the Views of Suffering Scale, this review examines correlations between benevolent theodicies (e.g., Soul-Building, Providence, Suffering God) and psychological outcomes such as reduced distress, post-traumatic growth, and vocational satisfaction. Findings consistently support CT’s central claim that theodical beliefs play a constructive cognitive role in resilience and coping. By bridging empirical psychology and contemporary theology, this study shows how theodicies can contribute to processes of meaning restoration
Cognition · Coherence (philosophical gambling strategy) · Constructive · Empirical research · Meaning (existential) · Proposition · Psychological resilience · Theodicy · Forgiveness and Related Behaviors · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Theological Perspectives and Practices
Wandering in Darkness
Meaning in Life as Comprehension, Purpose, and Mattering
Assumptive Worlds and the Stress of Traumatic Events
Meaning in the Context of Stress and Coping
The many methods of religious coping
Loss, Trauma, and Human Resilience
The posttraumatic growth inventory
When suffering contradicts belief
Suffering with Christ
God’s role in suffering
Compassionate Theodicy
Measuring the Image of God
Moral critique and defence of theodicy
The Effect of Trauma on Religious Beliefs
The Christian Sanctification of Suffering Scale
Christian functional views of suffering
Religious affiliation moderates associations between theodicies and mental health in people experiencing significant suffering from bereavement, illness and other stressors
Perceived and actual posttraumatic growth in religiousness and spirituality following disasters
Emerging Adulthood, Evolving Worldviews
Making sense of the meaning literature
Does growth require suffering? A systematic review and meta-analysis on genuine posttraumatic and postecstatic growth
What becomes of redundant world models? A contribution to the study of adaptation to change
The humean obstacle to evidential arguments from suffering
Science-Engaged Theology
Therapeutic Theodicy? Suffering, Struggle, and the Shift from the God's-Eye View
Religious Views of Suffering Profile Groups during Covid-19
Suffering Unto God
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |