Theodicy/Trauma
A "theodicy/trauma" relationship with God is a relationship rooted in pain, loss, or moral outrage at suffering in the world. This relationship is shaped by deep questions about how a just or loving God could allow for atrocities like the Holocaust or other modern-day tragedies. It often involves wrestling with faith in the face of injustice, grappling with the silence or perceived absence of God in moments of profound human suffering. This relationship may feel less like a straightforward belief or disbelief, and more like a struggle to reconcile faith with moral outrage and historical trauma.
​
Unlike a "skeptical/doubtful/non-belief" relationship, which often disengages from the idea of God altogether or regards God as irrelevant, the "theodicy/trauma" relationship stays entangled in the question of God’s justice or love, holding onto the question even while being angry, disillusioned, or confused by it.
​
Below are some responses that fell into the "theodicy/trauma" category alone.
"I go back and forth between believing and not. How could a just g-d allow for so much suffering."
"Until God can indicate why he/she/it decided to save the Israelites out of Egypt, but not the Jews out Europe, God doesn't deserve the relationship."
"After October 7, I'm just not sure anymore."
Theodicy/Trauma and...
Below are responses that were categorized as "theodicy/trauma" and a second category.
Complex/Ambiguous
"Love-hate"
Cultural/Communal/Historical
“I don’t know what I believe about God after everything our people have endured, but I stay because this is my story.”
Distant/Abstract
"I’m not driven by said connection, but choose to live my life with integrity and morality despite that. I don’t need to believe in a higher power for that to be integral to my being"
Emotional/Experiential
“I don’t feel comfort from God. I feel the need to confront God.”
Evolving
"I used to believe in a different God. Now that I've seen more pain and devastation than I know what to deal with... I don't know."
Philosophical
“I can’t talk about God without talking about Auschwitz.”
Relational/Personal
"Reverently antagonistic. I find sparks of the Divine in many places where I experience joy and awe and wonder, but I also look to G-d to be big enough to handle my anger and frustration and grief."
Ritualistic
“Like Elie Wiesel wrote: 'God is guilty; time to go daven mincha.'"
Skeptical/Doubtful/Non-Belief
"I don’t know if a God exists but if it does then God owes a lot of people an explanation."
If you feel like you have a theodicy/trauma relationship with God, seek out voices that wrestle honestly with suffering—theologians, survivors, protesters—and allow yourself to bring anger and grief into the conversation rather than suppressing them. Engaging traditions of protest and lament can affirm that outrage and faith are not mutually exclusive, and may help you discover solidarity rather than isolation in your struggle.