Question

In what way does Goldman discover that finally Religion and Theological Studies do not prepare a person fully for understanding and responding to human suffering?

Book. The Serach for God at Harvard

Author: Ari L. Goldman

Answer 1

Ari L. Goldman in his book ‘The Search for God at Harvard’ brings out how people look for God by projecting themselves with God’s characteristics such as love, respect, tolerance etc. while in reality they practice hatred towards others, show disrespect to people from other places etc. The book is almost an autobiography where he tries to account most of the anecdotes from his experience. This hypocritical life of people makes them speak something but at the same time act in another way. The author is a Jew and Jesus was a Jew and both would say that, ‘do as they say and not as they do’. So, this practice is prevalent from the beginning of time.

Religions are institutions that are founded by men and God’s were the later invention of men. So, people who preach God knows that there is no such God but people who follow them, do so blindly. This is where he tries to address the issue that finally Religion and Theological Studies do not prepare a person fully for understanding and responding to human suffering because they only focus on God who is not present in this world and an afterlife which no one is sure whether there is one or not.