God Relationships And Evil

As an undergraduate the author was influenced strongly by Bertrand Russell’s rejection of Christianity due to the amount of evil in the world. After years of reading and reflecting on this topic, this book was written in the hope of providing better insight on this issue. The book’s first part offers an analysis of the two primary historical approaches to theodicy—the free-will theodicy originated by Augustine and the “soul-making” or character development theodicy elaborated by John Hick. But the great value of human free will and character development does not seem adequately to justify all the evil we perceive. The second part shows why development of relationships among God and human beings requires considerable evil. Important non-relationship oriented explanations are taken into account. Justifications for permitting horrific evils including holocausts and world wars are given. The final part provides an analysis of the argument from evil including forms of the argument which have appeared in recent years in philosophical journals. Although evidence restricted to some evils or evil alone may have some weight, when good is included as well as evil, theists are justified in claiming the evidence supports their position far better than atheism.

When first published, Evil and the God of Love instantly became recognized as a modern theological classic, widely viewed as the most important work on the problem of evil to appear in English for more than a generation. Including a foreword by Marilyn McCord Adams, this reissue also contains a new preface by the author.

The problem of understanding why an all-powerful and wholly good and loving God could permit so much evil to occur has puzzled many Christians as well as skeptics since St. Augustine grappled with the problem in the Fourth Century A.D. Many skeptics have found the evidence of evil sufficient to reject belief in God. The author believes that this book provides a comprehensive, plausible, and satisfying treatment of the problem of evil consistent with the Bible and orthodox Christianity. Traditionally free will and the value of character development have been the primary approaches to explaining evil. Many evils are not adequately explained by either approach. The book offers an approach emphasizing the value of relationships between persons. If relationships are to reach the greatest depth and have the greatest value, then evils are necessary. The environment must provide opportunities to make sacrifices, have risks and dangers, and have poverty and limited resources. One chapter is devoted to analyzing the argument from evil against God’s existence. It shows evidence limited to evil alone is weak evidence. When evidence is expanded to evidence of good as well as evil and evidence for design, the evidence supports theism and weighs against naturalistic views.

As an undergraduate the author was influenced strongly by Bertrand Russell’s rejection of Christianity due to the amount of evil in the world. After years of reading and reflecting on this topic, this book was written in the hope of providing better insight on this issue. The book’s first part offers an analysis of the two primary historical approaches to theodicy—the free-will theodicy originated by Augustine and the “soul-making” or character development theodicy elaborated by John Hick. But the great value of human free will and character development does not seem adequately to justify all the evil we perceive. The second part shows why development of relationships among God and human beings requires considerable evil. Important non-relationship oriented explanations are taken into account. Justifications for permitting horrific evils including holocausts and world wars are given. The final part provides an analysis of the argument from evil including forms of the argument which have appeared in recent years in philosophical journals. Although evidence restricted to some evils or evil alone may have some weight, when good is included as well as evil, theists are justified in claiming the evidence supports their position far better than atheism.

Suffering is, in the end, God’s invitation to trust him. “As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all.” –Publishers Weekly Every one of us will experience suffering. You may be in such a time now. We see the presence of evil in the headlines every day. It all raises questions about God—Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? How can there be a God if suffering and evil exist? Atheists such as Richard Dawkins and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God. But in this illuminating book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, hopeful, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise. Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world—now and forever. And he shows the beauty of God’s sovereignty—how it ultimately triumphs over suffering and evil in our lives and the world around us.

Why would a loving and powerful God allow so much pain and suffering? In Why Suffering? Ravi Zacharias and Vince Vitale carefully walk you through a variety of responses that considered together provide a clear, comprehensive, and convincing answer. Responses like: Where there is the possibility of love, there has to be the reality of freedom, and therefore the possibility of pain. Wishing God had made a different world is to wish yourself out of existence. The cross is the key to a compelling and rational explanation for trusting in God in the face of suffering. In comparison with other world religions, the Christian response is highly distinctive. The reality of evil only makes sense in light of the reality of divine goodness. Relational knowledge about God takes the argument beyond reason to the presence of God amidst suffering. God's decision to allow temporal suffering is understandable when viewed from an eternal perspective. Divine goodness shows how to conquer not in spite of, but even through suffering. Here is a book written with great respect for the complexity of the issue, recognizing that some who read it will be in the trenches of deep suffering themselves and others questioning the very existence of a loving God. Why Suffering? provides an answer to the problem of pain and suffering with emotional sensitivity and intellectual integrity.

When first published, Evil and the God of Love instantly became recognized as a modern theological classic, widely viewed as the most important work on the problem of evil to appear in English for more than a generation. Including a foreword by Marilyn McCord Adams, this reissue also contains a new preface by the author.

We are at our human best when we give and forgive. But we live in a world in which it makes little sense to do either one. In our increasingly graceless culture, where can we find the motivation to give? And how do we learn to forgive when forgiving seems counterintuitive or even futile? A deeply personal yet profoundly thoughtful book, Free of Charge explores these questions--and the further questions to which they give rise--in light of God's generosity and Christ's sacrifice for us. Miroslav Volf draws from popular culture as well as from a wealth of literary and theological sources, weaving his rich reflections around the sturdy frame of Paul's vision of God's grace and Martin Luther's interpretation of that vision. Blending the best of theology and spirituality, he encourages us to echo in our own lives God's generous giving and forgiving. A fresh examination of two practices at the heart of the Christian faith--giving and forgiving--the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lenten study book for 2006 is at the same time an introduction to Christianity. Even more, it is a compelling invitation to Christian faith as a way of life. "Miroslav Volf, one of the most celebrated theologians of our day, offers us a unique interweaving of intense reflection, vivid and painfully personal stories and sheer celebration of the giving God . . . I cannot remember having read a better account of what it means to say that Jesus suffered for us in our place." -- Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury