<Theofragen>

One of the many advantages of living in Princeton is the opportunity I have to hear great lectures by world class scholars. Last week I had the privilege of listening to a lecture delivered by the eminent theologian, Miroslav Volf. His lecture was entitled, "Memory, Salvation and Perdition: The Importance and Ambiguity of Memory." Here's what he said (according to my choppy scribble).

Professor Volf focused a great deal on the salvific aspects of memory. He deems memory to be a means of salvation, rather than the content of salvation. Before the salvific aspects of memory are able to be received, four things must first happen.

1) Personal healing--we must recall pain in order to heal from it and we must interpret and inscribe those painful memories into our metanarratives.

2) Acknowledgment--memory must not rationalize wrongs. Here the truth must be stated honestly. Often people who have been hurt in traumatic ways allow the story to take over and to alter the truth of the memory. Volf urges that this must be avoided.

3) Solidarity of victims--it awakes us from the slumber of indifference. Hurt people tend to have a hard time empathyzing with others who are suffering due to their own overwhelming hurt.

4) Protect victims of further violence--memory of evil can be a shield against evil.

Conclusion: Memory can create violence or justice. An example noted by Dr. Volf occurred in Serbia. Here a negative use of memory (many Serbs have harsh memories of violence inflicted upon them) causes further violence. We ought to remember in redeeming not violent ways. Memory is a precondition of reconciliation and forgiveness and a dialectical relationship exists between memory and forgiveness.

My thoughts: It seems to me that Volf was advocating more of a 'psychology of memory' than a 'theology of memory.' Many of these ideas I have already learned from my wife from her experiences as a counselor. Dr. Volf brings lived pain with him to his lectures, having suffered horrible interrogations by Communists earlier in his life in Croatia. Rather than drifting to the extremes of repressing our lived pain on the one hand or inflicting similar pain on other people on the other, Volf offers us a way out of the dialectic. By living into our memories we are able to own them as an aspect of who we are. Then we may begin to enter into solidarity with other marginalized peoples who are suffering from painful memories. Memory, then, can lead either to salvation or perdition... the choice is up to us.

Reflections on Miroslav Volf's Lecture

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