A Natural Theology of Hope

How does one begin to address the meaning of hope? On the one hand, there is no theme that goes more to the heart of life than that of hope. On the other hand, precisely because hope stands at the core of the human condition, there is no aspect of life that is unrelated to it. Our very birth is an affirmation of hope even when our parent(s) or guardian(s) despair of any. The fact that we rise each day is an affirmation of hope even if only with the smallest glimmer. The major life transitions of childhood to puberty, the relationship with a significant other, the pursuit of education and a career, the birth of our own children, and retirement are all expressions of hope. Despite the injustices, tragedies, and suffering of life, we can find even in the darkest hours a glimmer of hope. Death is no negation of hope. With the death of a loved one, we gather to celebrate life and to affirm the hope that makes any such celebration possible.

What is hope? Is it a grand illusion that we embrace willingly as a coping mechanism in the face of the overwhelming negativity in life and in face of the triumph of death over life? In what follows, I want to explore the "groundless ground" for hope in experience that stands behind, under, before, and ahead of any religious doctrine regarding hope. Perhaps then we can be sure that we are engaging "real" hope and are not being blinded by wishful thinking.

The strategy for exploring the "groundless ground" of hope will be to examine the human condition in the world for any indication that humanity is sustained by a limitless dimension that requires of us to affirm real possibilities in even the darkest hours of life. Hence, whereas this project does not deny the possibility of revelation, it is concerned with natural theology and not with revealed theology. The question whether or not revealed theology necessarily presupposes the natural theology of hope investigated here must remain open.