By Dr. Vinoth Ramachandra and Jasmine Obeyesekere Fernando
“I don’t know how any intelligent woman can stay in a church where her gifts are not recognized and utilized."
— Dr. Vinoth Ramachandra
Listen in on an exclusive peek into our fall book club as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Jasmine Obeyesekere conducts an online discussion with author and theologian Dr. Vinoth Ramachandra where they discuss suffering, hope, and the Christian life.
How do we make sense of the suffering in our world and in our lives? Is there a place for doubt and questioning? What does living with hope look like?
Dr. Vinoth Ramachandra invites us to be honest with the pain we experience, both personally and in our world. He shows us that walking with God includes the apparent paradox of lamenting, questioning, and living with uncertainty alongside our joy, faith, and assurance. He shows us how suffering is at the heart of God and fleshes out the nature of Christian hope. I’m especially encouraged by the idea of “hope as struggle” as we long for and work towards God’s future amid the brokenness in our world.
Dr. Ramachandra is a lay theologian, writer, teacher, and human rights advocate born and based in Sri Lanka. His multi-faceted, international ministry spanning over forty years includes promoting among students and faculty a holistic, dialogical engagement with the world of the university; and helping Christian graduates act with Christian integrity in the face of the social, cultural, and political challenges they face in their national contexts throughout the world.
You can find Vinoth’s theological engagement with global current affairs at his blog.
— Jasmine Obeyesekere
