Pain, Suffering, and Redemption: Where Faith and Reason Mingle
Much has been said about the compatibility between faith and reason, religion and science. But they are more than parallel tracks that share mutual respect. Rather, they are integrated; they inform one another. In a particular way, the relationship between pain, suffering, and redemption may be the prototype by which the integration of faith and reason can be especially appreciated.
What is the intelligible pattern behind pain, suffering, and redemption? Pain is understood through the eyes of science; redemption is seen through the lens of faith. Suffering is the bridge between the two. It is what links pain to redemption. It is the link between physiology and theology. Suffering is where the human and divine meet. You cannot understand redemption unless you understand suffering, and you cannot understand suffering unless you understand pain. Pain and suffering drive us toward Jesus.
Pain and suffering — two words often used interchangeably, yet they are not the same. Pain does not necessarily cause suffering. The pain of childbirth can be extremely severe, but it is endured or even experienced as rewarding. Athletes readily submit themselves to painful workouts, knowing that they are more likely to succeed in competition. Catholics have a particularly complicated relationship with pain. We do not seek it for its own sake, yet the experience of pain is at the heart of asceticism or acts of mortification.
And then there is the question of suffering. While not exclusive to Catholics, suffering as redemptive is a very Catholic thing. The mention of “redemptive suffering” to most non-Catholics is likely to be met by a quizzical shrug, as if to say “I have no idea what you are talking about.” Furthermore, the Catholic tradition does not speak of “redemptive pain” but rather “redemptive suffering.” So there appears to be a hierarchy: not all pain leads to suffering, not all suffering is redemptive.
Things become even more complicated when the obvious is acknowledged: pain is experienced on multiple, intertwined levels. The physical, psychological, and spiritual are all connected when it comes to pain. Physical pain can lead to emotional distress and psychological problems can manifest through physical symptoms.
So there are a number of questions that need to be answered: How is pain experienced? When and how does pain lead to suffering? When and how does suffering become redemptive? To answer these questions, we need to look at the physiology, phenomenology and theology of pain and suffering.
