The Good God and The Pains of Man: Addressing Existential Reality from Pastoral Care Perspective

Adedotun Abiodun Adeola; Ph.D

doi:10.56201/ijrcp.vol.11.no7.2026.pg57.64

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The Good God and The Pains of Man: Addressing Existential Reality from Pastoral Care Perspective

Adedotun Abiodun Adeola, Ph.D

Abstract

The coexistence of a good God and human pain is a philosophical and theological study known as the problem of evil. Theodicy shows that God is absolutely good and all powerful even though bad things happen. In a rapidly changing world characterized by pandemics, economic instability, environmental crises and personal losses, many individuals experience a profound sense of emptiness and disorientation. This suggests that existential pain is real and deeply tied to human quest for meaning and solution. The article discusses several factors that contribute to the emergence of existential pains in contemporary society. One major cause is traumatic experience, including loss of loved ones, natural disasters, violence and displacement. It also posits that finding meaning and solution to human existential pains cannot be adequately addressed through purely clinical or material interventions therefore explaining the potency of spiritual/religious space in addressing existential distress through effective application of pastoral care. This article uniquely positioned pastoral care as a means to respond to existential pains by integrating spiritual resources with psychological insight. This article is basically theoretical, standing on various scholarly materials. The article concludes that the contemporary developments in pastoral theology reveal a shift toward addressing deeper existential concerns by providing empathetic understanding, ministry of presence and balanced theological interpretation that affirms human suffering as well as grace of God while pointing toward hope and transcendence, meaning and meaninglessness, faith and disbelieve, and love for God in crisis situations.

Keywords

GodExistential PainPastoralCare

References

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The Good God and The Pains of Man: Addressing Existential Reality from Pastoral Care Perspective

Abstract

Keywords

References

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