Deafening Silence? On Hearing God in the Midst of Suffering

Abstract

Biblical studies are silent on the question of God's silence. Korpel and De Moor squarely locate God's silence in the context of God's speech. By emphasizing the human factor strongly, Korpel and De Moor draw divine discourse into the level of human history. According to Wolterstorff there are many things on which God has never spoken. Most matters God leaves to the people to find out, by observation and inference. Korpel and De Moor tend to take 'speaking for God' broadly and interpret it as acting to help God . Korpel and De Moor explain that the part of the point of the silence of the Carthusians is that they are open to the voice of God. In the Old Testament, God can be the author of suffering and educate by means of suffering. The primary theological lesson to be learnt is that one should learn anew to discern God's voice. Keywords: De Moor; God's silence; Korpel; suffering; Wolterstorff