Alumna explores grief in published dissertation

Reverend Molly Field James (Theology 2011) teaches Ethics and Pastoral Care at Hartford Seminary and the University of St. Joseph in Connecticut, USA.

With Joyful Acceptance, Maybe, published by Wipf & Stock this year, offers an insight into how Christianity has taught us to cope with grief and suffering.

Drawing on the work of five theologians including C.S Lewis, Jeremy Taylor and Gregory the Great, Molly also uses her experiences to construct an understanding of Christian responses to suffering over time.

Molly was diagnosed with bone cancer as a teenager. While she considers herself blessed to have survived, she lost her childhood innocence as a result of having to face mortality, which led to a period of grieving.

She said: “The desire to grapple with questions of loss and suffering arose from my own personal experiences and my professional interest in how contemporary Christians perceived these emotions. I have come to realise that the “grieving process” is not limited to the times when someone dies – it is a normal part of the human response to suffering.”

Molly balances her parish and Diocesan work with family life and her teaching.

Find out more on the Wipf & Stock website.