Hope In The Judeo-Christian Tradition
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org,
please feel free to visit the school website)
The spread of Judeo-Christian thought engendered a revolution in one's relationship with the Godhead and resulted in new attitudes about hope, according to Menninger in the article “Hope,” in Bulletin Of The Menninger Clinic (1987). The Old Testament is a chronicle of a very dark and challenging period in Jewish history. These circumstances provided the context for a new religion and for a declaration that steadfast faith in God is rewarded. In The Interpreter's Dictionary Of The Bible (1962) edited by George Arthur Buttrick, four aspects of hope were identified in old Testament writings:
- Trust in God, which led to a commitment of one's cause to the Lord, holding fast to him and living in serenity and peace under his protec¬tion. Although hope tends no longer to have this connotation, this definition highlights the intimate relationship between hope and faith, which is deeply rooted in such reliance and trust.
- A ready eagerness to take refuge in the Lord from one's foes and to rely on him for speedy deliverance.
- The confident expectation of future gladness which creates the possibility of present rejoicing. This attitude of anticipation and expectation serves as the occasion for eschatological hope.
- A patient and courageous waiting for the Lord to bring his salvation, bringing endurance in the face of present adversity.
This analysis of hope, in the biblical context, high¬lighted hope's nature as involving present and future rewards resulting from a deliberate and active choice (a life of faith). In this view, hope is associated with feelings of serenity, peace, gladness, and joy. This reward is guaranteed in the future and is a sustaining force in the face of present hardship. The immediate implication is that the decision of faith is, in its certain outcome, a reason to be hopeful, and in hope, joyful.<
Make no mistake, however, as to the level of commitment this notion of hope requires. When a person is said to have “committed his cause to the Lord,” it presupposes a capacity to constantly choose meaningful actions according to a set of values. The Old Testament promise of salvation is predicated on the notion that God, like a good mother, will care for his faithful children. Biblical hope means to wait faithfully and patiently for the figurative breast of Providence, while acting according to God's law. Such a concept of hope clearly parallels that of Erikson's psychosocial perspective as described in Insight And Responsibility (1964).
Other aspects of biblical hope also figure prominently in this review of philosophical and psychological perspec¬tives on hope. The recognition of hope as involving expected positive affects and a cognitive appraisal of the means to that end is common to research by Snyder, et al. in Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology (1991), Staats in Journal Of Genetic Psychology (1987) and Journal Of Personality Assessment (1989), and Stotland in The Psychology Of Hope (1969). The idea that hope demands free and responsible ongoing action according to a set of values is emphasized in the existential perspective articulated by Frankl in Man’s Search For Meaning (1959) and Marcel in Homo Viator: Prolegomenes A Une Metaphysique De L’esperance (1944) and The Existential Background Of Human Dignity (1963).