Compassion is a widely discussed concept in Christian thought, yet its meaning becomes most tangible in practice - especially in situations of profound loss. It plays a central role in care practice and is also the turning point in the parable of the Good Samaritan: the Good Samaritan feels compassion and acts immediately to assist the seriously injured man at the roadside.
However, compassion may shift from motivation and empathetic care to insensitivity, cynicism, and complete exhaustion when someone experiences compassion fatigue. Due to its inherent ambiguity, compassion has been the subject of critical discussion from Antiquity to the present day. The parable of the Good Samaritan acknowledges these risks and encourages reflection on how to overcome them - on how compassion can be sustained as a meaningful and responsible practice in the face of deep human suffering.
The event will feature a presentation, “Compassion as a Resource and a Risk: the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Care Practice,” by Petra von Gemünden, Professor of Biblical Theology at the University of Augsburg in Germany. She has more than 30 years of academic experience, including professorships in Geneva and Augsburg, as well as research and visiting professorships at universities in Japan, France, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The event will also include the presentation “Being present in loss: compassion in practice” by Aira Līcīte, lecturer and practitioner at the University of Latvia.
The event is organized in collaboration with the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia and takes place as part of the German Language Month in Latvia.
