Abstract:
This thesis investigates the New Covenant prophecy in Jeremiah 31.31-34 and its context in its relation to the situation of judgment and punishment applied by God on the Israelite nation, especially the destruction of the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem and the deportation to Babylon. From this relation, the research studies and verifies the applicability of biblical contents of the prophecy and its context in the book of Jeremiah for contemporary situations of forced migration, individually and collectively. To identify such applicability, the research also addresses the current treatment dispensed by psychology for similar situations of refugees, and also investigates the approach of spirituality for those same situations, thus seeking to integrate contributions from biblical theology, psychology and spirituality. To achieve these goals, the research begins with the study of the person of the prophet Jeremiah and the formative context of the book of Jeremiah, examining the advances of academic research on its various fronts, as well as the limitations still to be transposed. We then proceed to examine the current (and, indeed, record breaking) reality of forced migration and refugees in the world, and how the needs of these populations have been addressed by psychological and psychiatric work. We highlight the approach of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for individuals, works of support and strengthening for families, and especially the "RICH" approach towards victimized people and communities. Next, we examine the spirituality approach looking at how mental health professionals comment on the biblical texts that accompany the experience of the Judaite exiles. For this purpose we draw mainly on materials produced by the team of the recently launched Therapeutic Bible. The research then focuses on the Jeremianic context of the prophecy of the new covenant, namely, the Book of Consolations, preceded by the letter of Jeremiah to the first group of exiles in Babylon. In commenting on the verses in chapters 29, 30 and 31, we find messages that, while replicating the environment of distress and aid lived by exiles, reveal content that may be useful to contemporary victims. Finally, we compare the structure of the “RICH” approach with the paragraph of the prophecy of the new covenant, where we find important coincidence. Finally, we proceed to a detailed examination of the biblical text of this prophecy, highlighting various details and teachings that prove useful for the aid of current forced refugees.
