Theodicy: understanding evil in a world God rules in The Wreck of the Deutschland

The meaning of disasters

Theodicy is the technical term for the process of trying to understand why evil exists under the rule of a good God.

It is a natural reaction to want an enquiry into any disaster, but Hopkins is not interested in this sort of procedure. He is not out to blame anyone:

neither the captain for sailing into a storm
nor the rescuers who never came
nor the overloading of the boat (if there was overloading).

His concern is to find out what it ‘meant'.

Only occasionally do people think like this. After the devastation of the World Trade Centre on 11th September 2001, a few people thought about what it ‘meant'; most thought about how to stop it happening again.

What was God doing?

Hopkins' mind is particularly concentrated on the meaning of the disaster since five of the drowned people were fellow Catholics, and, what is more, they were only on board because they were forced to leave their own country by discriminatory laws.

how had God allowed them to suffer a double blow?

It is on this question that the poem concentrates. Only at the end does he ask what it may have meant to all the others on board. But, even then he is not interested in apportioning blame. ‘Blame' should not be relevant in the search for meaning.

The cry of the nun

Hopkins takes his cue from the leading nun's cry, ‘O Christ, Christ come quickly' (stanza 24), a detail that had caught his eye in the newspaper account. If he can find what she meant, then he may have a clue to theodicy:

he proposes possible meanings in stanzas 25-27
he rejects them as not fitting the exact circumstances of sudden crisis
in stanza 28 he seems to have almost a revelation or epiphany of what really happened: she saw, at least with the eyes of faith, Christ coming to her on or over the water, or through the storm. In a sense, this was her rescue, even if it was in death. It was Christ's moment to take her - and the other nuns - to heaven as martyrs for their faith.

Meaning for others

Hopkins hopes that it was not just the nun's personal salvation that provided meaning. He hopes her cry will have helped some of the others to make some last-minute repentance (stanzas 31,33), and so, too, come to Heaven, just as the dying thief did at Jesus' right hand at the crucifixion:

‘Today shalt thou be with me in paradise,'

Christ says in Luke 23:43.

So the theodicy resolves itself in Christ coming to take those who are his. It is triumphal, and there is certainly no sense of punishment or anger anywhere, either on Hopkins' part or God's. More on a different approach?

More on a different approach: A non-Christian poet could not have written this. Dylan Thomas probably represents a typical non-believer's anger in his poem Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, where he writes: ‘Rage, rage against the dying of the light.'

Investigating Theodicy in The Wreck of the Deutschland

Look at the stories making the headlines today.
- Which stories seem to demand blaming someone?
- Which stories need ‘explaining'?
- Do any seem to need a theodicy?
- What types of language and questions are used?

From this, decide: Is Hopkins' approach to disaster and suffering unusual?
- If you think it is unusual, can you say what gives him the ability to approach the subject so differently?
- Look at his philosophical approach, but also at the way he constructs his language of disaster.

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. ²And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king. ³And Pilate asked him, Are you the King of the Jews? And he answered him, You have said so. ⁴Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, I find no guilt in this man. ⁵But they were urgent, saying, He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place. ⁶When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. ⁹So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. ¹⁰The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. ¹²And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other. ¹³Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, ¹⁴and said to them, You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. ¹⁵Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. ¹⁶I will therefore punish and release him. ¹⁷ ¹⁸But they all cried out together, Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas - ¹⁹a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. ²⁰Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, ²¹but they kept shouting, Crucify, crucify him! ²²A third time he said to them, Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him. ²³But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. ²⁴So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. ²⁵He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will. ²⁶And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. ²⁸But turning to them Jesus said, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹For behold, the days are coming when they will say, Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed! ³⁰Then they will begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us, and to the hills, Cover us. ³¹For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry? ³²Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they cast lots to divide his garments. ³⁵And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One! ³⁶The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine ³⁷and saying, If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself! ³⁸There was also an inscription over him, This is the King of the Jews. ³⁹One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us! ⁴⁰But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. ⁴²And he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ⁴³And he said to him, Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise. ⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! And having said this he breathed his last. ⁴⁷Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, Certainly this man was innocent! ⁴⁸And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. ⁴⁹And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. ⁵⁰Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, ⁵¹who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. ⁵²This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. ⁵⁴It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. ⁵⁵The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. ⁵⁶Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

¹And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. ²And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. ³And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. ⁴Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. ⁵And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. ⁶When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. ⁷And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. ⁸And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. ⁹Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. ¹⁰And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. ¹¹And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. ¹²And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. ¹³And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, ¹⁴Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: ¹⁵No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. ¹⁶I will therefore chastise him, and release him. ¹⁷(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) ¹⁸And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: ¹⁹(Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) ²⁰Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. ²¹But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. ²²And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. ²³And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. ²⁴And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. ²⁵And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. ²⁶And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. ²⁷And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. ²⁸But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. ²⁹For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. ³⁰Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. ³¹For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? ³²And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. ³³And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. ³⁴Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. ³⁵And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. ³⁶And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, ³⁷And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. ³⁸And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. ³⁹And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. ⁴⁰But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. ⁴²And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. ⁴³And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. ⁴⁴And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. ⁴⁶And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. ⁴⁷Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. ⁴⁸And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. ⁴⁹And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. ⁵⁰And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: ⁵¹(The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. ⁵²This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. ⁵³And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. ⁵⁴And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. ⁵⁵And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. ⁵⁶And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

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Gerard Manley Hopkins, selected poems Contents