Rejoicing in Lament: J. Todd Billing's Forthcoming Book on Providence and Lament

Regular readers of this blog (both of ’em) will know that I’m interested in the relation between God’s providence and the practice of lament. Thus I was pleased to hear that J. Todd Billings is going to publish on precisely this relation – though it saddens me that Billings’s personal circumstances were the occasion for writing this book.

Here’s the blurb:

J. Todd Billings, Rejoicing in Lament: Wrestling with Incurable Cancer and Life in Christ

At the age of 39, Christian theologian Todd Billings was diagnosed with a rare form of incurable cancer. In the wake of that diagnosis, he began grappling with the hard theological questions we face in the midst of crisis: Why me? Why now? Where is God in all of this? This eloquently written book shares Billings’s journey, struggle, and reflections on providence, lament, and life in Christ in light of his illness, moving beyond pat answers toward hope in God’s promises. Theologically robust yet eminently practical, it engages the open questions, areas of mystery, and times of disorientation in the Christian life. Billings offers concrete examples through autobiography, cultural commentary, and stories from others, showing how our human stories of joy and grief can be incorporated into the larger biblical story of God’s saving work in Christ.

I’ve read Billings’s Calvin, Participation, and the Gift, which impressed me, and so I anticipate a thoughtful and stimulating read. Rejoicing in Lament is planned for publication by Brazos Press in February 2015.