Faith in Exile: Seeking Hope in Times of Doubt

The biblical promise of God to be with the exiled and outcast is a source of hope for the believer who is in a period of religious or spiritual uncertainty. A return to the spiritual life is considered in light of the many examples of return or redemption in stories from both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. Faith in Exile invites the reader to take time and make space for the spiritual life. Diligence, understood as loving care, is introduced as a basic paradigm for understanding spirituality. It is presented as a threefold virtue: loving care for oneself, for others and for the world. Each of these three is elaborated and related to the experience of religious or spiritual exile. Biblical and sacramental examples and allusions are used to show how the images and symbols of the Judaeo-Christian tradition can enrich our interior life. Finally, hope is explained as loving care for the future. Loving care for oneself, for others, and for the world open one up to, and commit one to, a better future. The theological themes of grace, of conversion, and of commitment are explored to elaborate the meaning and experience of hope for the spiritual pilgrim or religious exile.