Book SummaryOn Consolation, by Michael Ignatieff

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of On Consolation

Consolation in Religious, Philosophical, and Secular Traditions

Consolation in Suffering and Loss: Religious and Philosophical Traditions

This section delves into the historical roots of consolation, where humans sought answers and solace from religious and philosophical traditions. Ignatieff explores these systems, highlighting their roles in framing suffering and providing hope to generations.

Hebrew Bible, Job, Psalms: Foundations of Judeo-Christian Consolation

The Hebrew Bible, particularly Job and the Psalms, lays the foundation for Judeo-Christian consolation. Ignatieff focuses on the fundamental question these texts grapple with: how to maintain belief in a reality where a fair deity allows suffering.

Job's tale immerses us in this dilemma. A righteous man fortunate in life, Job loses everything—family, possessions, health—in a test orchestrated by God. Job's companions, acting as comforters, urge him to acknowledge faults and see his suffering as deserved punishment. However, Job vehemently asserts that he is blameless and questions God's fairness. From this defiant questioning and rejection of illusory solace, Job's true consolation arises. God speaks through the storm, not to give an explanation for the suffering, but to acknowledge that Job merits being heard. Ignatieff argues that true consolation lies not just in accepting God's inscrutable order, but in demanding recognition of pain and refusing the easy answers of those who claim it is justified.

In Psalms, the focus shifts from an individual's struggle to a collective voice of lamentation and praise. Ignatieff explains how these songs offer consolation by linking us to a continuum of human experience reaching back to the earliest expressions. Though their authors remain anonymous, their words resonate with timeless universality: the torment of exile, the despair of desolation, the fear of death, and the yearning for justice. The Psalms, argues Ignatieff, offer solace not only through faith in God, but also through the enduring recognition that others have felt and expressed our most profound doubts and sorrows, making us feel less alone in our own struggles.

Practical Tips

• Create a personal consolation journal using themes from Job and Psalms to reflect on challenges and gratitude. Start by reading a passage from either book and then write down your thoughts on how it relates to your own life experiences. This can be a way to find solace during tough times and to recognize the moments of joy and thankfulness in your life.
• Reflect on personal biases by journaling about times when you may have misjudged someone's situation. Write down instances where you've attributed someone's misfortune to their actions without full knowledge of their circumstances. This exercise can help you recognize patterns in your thinking and foster a more compassionate perspective.
• Start a peer support group where the main rule is to share personal challenges without expecting advice or explanations from others. This setting can be a safe space for individuals to express their feelings and find comfort in the presence of others who simply acknowledge their situation. You could organize monthly meetings where members can talk freely, and the group's role is to listen respectfully and offer support through presence alone.
• Engage in a 'recognition conversation' with a trusted friend or family member. Set aside time to have a deep, one-on-one discussion where you openly share your feelings of pain and ask for their acknowledgment. This can be a structured conversation where you express what you're going through and why it's important that your pain is not dismissed. It's an opportunity to verbalize your need for recognition and to strengthen your support system.
• Incorporate the Psalms into your daily routine by setting aside time each morning or evening for contemplation and prayer. Use this time to meditate on the words, allowing them to provide solace and strength for the day ahead or peace as the day concludes. You could select a different Psalm each day or focus on one that particularly speaks to you for a longer period.

Salvation and Eternal Life in Christian Tradition

Christian traditions build upon the foundations of Hebrew scriptures, offering consolation through the assurance of salvation and eternal life. Ignatieff examines the pivotal role of Paul in shaping this comforting language, particularly his vision of a worldwide faith embracing all humanity.

Paul’s own conversion from persecutor to apostle exemplifies the transformative impact of belief. Ignatieff points to Paul's conviction that the Messiah would save all, regardless of social standing, ethnicity, or gender. This message resonated with the anxieties of his time, offering solace to those seeking escape from suffering and wishing for reunions in a timeless paradise. While Paul believed the Messiah's return was near, he developed a hopeful message that acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining faith amidst hardship. Ignatieff emphasizes how Paul's letters, filled with personal accounts of hardship and vulnerability, built communities of faith by acknowledging the struggles of believers and affirming their shared humanity. Paul's emphasis on love, Ignatieff argues, was a key element of his consoling message: a testament to the enduring bonds of human connection that transcend division and offer solace even when faith alone may falter.

Other Perspectives

• Some individuals may find the concept of eternal life to be daunting or undesirable, rather than consoling, due to the fear of an unending existence.
• The Book of Revelation, traditionally attributed to John, adds another dimension to the Christian understanding of eternal life and the end times, which complements and expands upon Paul's teachings.
• Paul's conversion is a single anecdote and may not be representative of the experience of all individuals who...

On Consolation Summary Art, Literature, and Aesthetics: Consolation in a Changing World

This section focuses on the enduring capacity of artistic expression and literature to offer solace, particularly in times of social upheaval and personal loss. Ignatieff analyzes specific works, focusing on how they articulate suffering, create a feeling of shared experience, and shed light on humanity in ways that transcend religious and ideological frameworks.

Capacity of Art Forms to Express Human Suffering and Loss

Ignatieff argues that art forms, particularly music and literature, have a unique capacity to express the complexity of people's suffering and loss, offering solace through their ability to capture the nuances of emotion, create a sense of empathy, and illuminate the beauty and fragility of human existence.

Mahler's Kindertotenlieder: Finding Comfort in Shared Grief

Mahler's Kindertotenlieder, a cycle of five songs on the death of children, exemplifies music's capacity to offer consolation through shared grief. Ignatieff examines how Mahler, drawing on his own childhood experiences of loss, utilized the German lieder form to express a father's journey through disbelief, anguish, guilt, and eventual acceptance. Mahler's masterful blending of vocal...

On Consolation Summary Suffering, Bereavement, and Mortality in Human Experience: The Quest for Comfort

This final section delves into the enduring themes of suffering, loss, and death, demonstrating how the quest for consolation remains a fundamental aspect of being human. Ignatieff analyzes how individuals across the ages have faced these challenges, seeking meaning, solace, and ways to navigate the complexities of existence's inevitable hardships.

Understanding Tragedy, Inequity, and Humanity

This section revisits the fundamental questions of human existence addressed throughout the book, examining how the quest for comfort intersects with our attempts to understand tragedy, inequity, and human vulnerability.

Suffering's Significance in Job's Tale

The enduring tale of Job, as analyzed by Ignatieff, offers a profound meditation on the significance of suffering within the framework of faith in a God who is just. Facing unimaginable loss and affliction, Job's unwillingness to embrace facile answers about his supposed guilt resonates across the centuries as an articulation of the human need to grapple with seemingly senseless adversity.

Ignatieff emphasizes that Job finds real solace not from discovering a reason for his suffering, but from God's acknowledgment of his...