Practice, Wisdom, and Tragic Faith

Practice, Wisdom, and Tragic Faith

Immanuel C. K.E.

This article aims to illustrate the possibility of having practical wisdom and the necessity of bearing tragic faith. Based on studies of Greek and Hebrew tragedies, this article argues that we cannot have real practical wisdom because we cannot comprehend the whole conditions of our existence. Tragedy is the negation of practical wisdom, even of the wisdom of life. Unless we are able to overcome tragedies, we could not have practical wisdom. Therefore, both practice and wisdom are necessary and the only wisdom we can have is the one arising from the faith testified by tragedies. Tragic faith is not only the faith that we get through tragedy but also one that contains tragedy. Wisdom from tragic faith is to believe the tragic God in Jesus Christ, who is the concourse of all kinds of tragedy. Only the tragedy of Jesus Christ can appropriate and transform the extreme tragedies in this world, and only it can point the way out of tragedies. This article believes that only one who believes in Jesus Christ could have the wisdom to overcome tragedies and that this wisdom is not only practical wisdom but also wisdom of life.