Compassionate Theodicy and Psychological Resilience: Insights From VOSS-Based Research

Compassionate theodicy (CT), recently theorized by Bethany Sollereder, proposes a new paradigm for evaluating theodicies based on their psychological utility for individuals who suffer. While CT suggests that theodicies can foster resilience, the cognitive processes underlying this effect remain unclear. This article addresses that gap by integrating Crystal Park’s Meaning-Making Model and Janoff-Bulman’s Shattered Assumptions Theory to explain how benevolent theodical beliefs may help restore meaning and coherence following trauma. Drawing on 14 empirical studies employing the Views of Suffering Scale, this review examines correlations between benevolent theodicies (e.g., Soul-Building, Providence, Suffering God) and psychological outcomes such as reduced distress, post-traumatic growth, and vocational satisfaction. Findings consistently support CT’s central claim that theodical beliefs play a constructive cognitive role in resilience and coping. By bridging empirical psychology and contemporary theology, this study shows how theodicies can contribute to processes of meaning restoration.