Loving God in the Midst of Suffering with Douglas Groothuis

“How do you continue to find God as dementia pulls your loved one into the darkness?” Douglas Groothuis details the gradual loss of his wife to dementia and ultimately death in his book Walking Through Twilight: A Wife's Illness―A Philosopher's Lament (available at Equip.org). https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-walking-through-twilight-a-wifes-illness-a-philosophers-lament/ Groothuis joined Hank Hanegraaff to discuss what he learned from his season of suffering and how sharing his own vulnerable experiences can help lead other “siblings in suffering” closer to Christ. Douglas Groothuis is a longtime contributor to the Christian Research Journal and many of his articles can be found on the web at Equip.org.
Topics discussed include: Dealing with the gradual loss of someone with dementia and the experience of ambiguous loss after they die (3:30); how apologetics can aids spiritual formation and helps Christians deal with moments of doubt (6:00); Douglas Groothuis discusses his temptation to hate God, comparing his experiences to the Psalms of lament in the Bible (11:10); why Groothuis decided to embrace vulnerability by writing the autobiographical account of his suffering in Walking Through Twilight: A Wife's Illness—A Philosopher's Lament https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-walking-through-twilight-a-wifes-illness-a-philosophers-lament/(15:05); finding solace in the wisdom of the Psalms (20:45); finding meaning in the midst of suffering (26:30); what lessons can we learn from dogs?? (29:35); the power of music (33:45); the value of memorizing scripture (37:20); how adversity can help us grow—you can become bitter or you can become better (43:45); wise ways to use social media (46:30); the value of reading and the difference between digital books and physical books (48:45); practical guidelines for helping those who are hurting (54:20); was Jesus a philosopher? (1:00:30); do we think enough about our own immortality? (1:04:45); should apologists embrace mystery more often? (1:06:45); embracing apologetics as a source of spiritual formation (1:09:45); a brief summary of Christian apologetics (1:11:40); the value of art and music in a Christian life (1:16:35).


Please click here to learn about partnering with us and receiving the book Walking Through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness―A Philosopher’s Lament. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-walking-through-twilight-a-wifes-illness-a-philosophers-lament/


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