Hope from a Body in Pain: Theology, Psychology and Medical Narratives

This book explores the phenomenon of hope in the context of long-term ill-health. It brings medicine, psychology and theology in dialogue with the voices of those with first-hand experience of chronic pain. The chapters reflect on existing psychological literature on hope, the theological perspectives of three key figures - Augustine, Aquinas and Moltmann - and interview-based empirical research with persons who live with chronic pain. In a theological framework, hope is a complex and dynamic force which incorporates and yet goes beyond any understandings within the cognitive-behavioural framework of psychology. The author challenges a highly individualistic and positivistic view on hope and argues for hope as intuitive, reflective, active and communal. The book will be of particular interest to scholars working at the intersection of medicine, psychology and theology, as well as those in the medical humanities.