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It’s an old question, and the one question that reportedly kept Albert Einstein from becoming a Christian: “If God is good, then why does evil exist?”
Randy Alcorn has written a new book, If God Is Good, and I would urge you to pick up a copy. If you’ve never asked this question yourself, you’re bound to know someone who has. Randy explains things in a simple, easy-to-read format, but his answers are biblical, well-researched, and deeply profound. Learn how to take God’s word and apply it to what appears to be a most perplexing conundrum.
This review originally appeared on Angela Hunt’s blog, September 12, 2009.
Of course, questioning God’s concern when tragedy happens is a normal human reaction and understandable passage of grief (just as I did when my brother Wieland was killed in 1970 in the Vietnam War). I learned back then it’s OK to doubt the Almighty, but staying there is definitely a dead end. If you feel stuck in your personal pain, I would encourage you to read my friend and best-selling author Randy Alcorn’s brand new book (released Sept. 15), If God is Good is a genuinely encouraging reading that embraces struggle and offers real answers that help. (You can learn more about the book, read an excerpt or order a copy at Eternal Perspective Ministries.)
This review originally appeared at the end of Chuck Norris’s WorldNet Daily column, September 15, 2009.
From Tim Challies —
It seems a fair question, doesn’t it? If God is truly good, as Christians insist, then how can there be so much suffering in the world? Since ancient times this question has led skeptics to believe that God cannot, must not, exist. Even today’s so-called New Atheists show how little is really knew when they use the existence of suffering and evil as a linchpin of their arguments against God’s existence. Quite simply they say, “If suffering and evil exist, then God must not.” Yet though people have wrestled with this question and allowed it to drive them from the faith, many more have wrestled with it and have come to the conclusion that God does exist despite suffering. They have found that suffering is God’s invitation to trust in him and to hold out hope for a better world to come.
If God Is Good is the latest book from Randy Alcorn who is probably best-known for his last major release, Heaven, which has sold well over a half million copies in hardcover. From my experience, Alcorn primarily writes three types of books: novels, very small books and very large books. If God Is Good, like Heaven before it, fits squarely in the final category. Weighing in at 512 pages, this is a good-sized hardcover that offers a thorough examination and defense of faith in the midst of suffering and evil.
The topic Alcorn deals with in this book is a particularly difficult one. Humility and practicality, trademarks of his ministry, are evident in the book’s earliest pages. “If I thought I had no helpful perspectives on the problem, it would be pointless for me to write this book. If I imagined I had all the answers neatly lined up, it would be pointless for you to read it.” He seeks to get right to the bottom of the subject and, as we learn, a sound theology of suffering touches upon many different areas. This leads him into theology that is increasingly foundational, plunging into deeper and deeper waters. He looks to the source and nature of evil, human depravity (advocating total spiritual inability), free will (arguing for compatibilism), divine omniscience, omnipotence and omnibenevolence, the existence of Heaven and Hell, justification, sanctification and so on. What area of the Christian life remains untouched by this great question of suffering? In what area of life or theology is evil not an unfortunate consideration?
Throughout the book Alcorn’s style is stridently didactic, bearing shades of Heaven. But where Heaven depended heavily on questions and answers, If God Is Good leans upon bolded headings followed by explanations. The style is unique in all the books I’ve read, but quite effective. These are headings that cannot be skipped over as they are integral to the flow of the book. So choosing a page at random, we see a heading of “Free Will in Heaven.” Immediately below that is a bolded sentence saying, “Free will in Heaven will not require that we be capable of sinning or that humanity may fall again.” There follows seven or eight paragraphs of explanation and then another bolded sentence to delineate the next few paragraphs: “We will have true freedom in Heaven, but a righteous freedom that never sins.” And so it continues throughout. This writing style fits well with the way I learn, though I did discover to my chagrin that I tend to skip over headings and often had to backtrack to ensure that I was not missing important content.
As we would expect, Alcorn’s teaching is interlaced with stories of grace through suffering. Some of these come from the author’s own life (consider reading this article if you have never read of some of Alcorn’s own suffering) while others come from family or friends or strangers. More than supplementary material, these examples show how God has acted in grace toward his people as they have suffered. Though the size of the book may warn some away (then again, this has certainly not proven the case with Heaven) the book is in no way an academic treatise. To the contrary, it is written with a general audience firmly in mind and, because it never gets bogged down in detail, anyone should be able to read and to enjoy it. In fact, though the book does teach some profoundly important theology and though it is concerned with doctrine, it is always pastoral in its tone. This is not theology for the sake of theology, but theology that brings true peace and comfort. Where firmness is required, Alcorn provides firmness, but where gentleness is best, he is gentle.
Writing to those who may see little need to read such a book he says, “We shouldn’t wait until suffering comes to start learning about how to face it any more than we should wait to fall into the water to start learning how to scuba dive.” To those skeptics who are convinced that the existence of suffering must mean the non-existence of God he challenges, “This is one of the great paradoxes of suffering. Those who don’t suffer much think suffering should keep people from God, while many who suffer a great deal turn to God, not from him.” And for those who know suffering all too well he encourages, “Our present sufferings are a brief but important part of a larger plan that one day will prove them all worthwhile.”
There can be a fine line between exhaustive and exhausting. In the case of If God Is Good, Alcorn has succeeded in writing a book that is long and thorough but not at all tiresome. And though this book enters quite a crowded field, it offers a depth, a thoroughness, a pastoral spirit that set it apart. I very much enjoyed reading it and trust that you will too. I am glad to give it my highest recommendation.
This review originally appeared on Tim Challies’ website: http://www.challies.com/ September 15, 2009.
From Mocha With Linda —
Randy Alcorn’s latest book tackles a difficult subject which lies at the very core of our beliefs. I’ve had such a hard time getting started on this review that I can’t imagine even attempting to write the book itself, but I’m so glad Randy did. This is a solid, thought-provoking, and well-written book.
If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil deals with the prime questions people ask today:
Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?
No trite answers here. This book is peppered with scriptural references. (In the back is a 7-page, triple-column index of somewhere around 1000 references!) When I began the book, I decided to use those little Post-it flags to mark pages to which I might want to refer later. I’m wondering now if that will actually be helpful, for there are so many flags that I might as well have an unmarked book!
Randy begins by defining evil—for we must understand evil to acknowledge our own sin. Only then will we begin to grasp God’s goodness and His grace.
Unless we come to grips with the fact that we’re of precisely the same stock as [a convicted child-murderer] and Stalin and Mao, we’ll never get over thinking that we deserve better. Evil done to us will offend us and having to suffer will outrage us. We’ll never appreciate Christ’s grace so long as we hold on to the proud illusion that we’re better than we are. We flatter ourselves when we look at evil acts and say, “I would never do that.” Given our evil nature and a similar background, resources, and opportunities, we would. (p. 76)
He also offers a discussion of worldviews that are contradictory to the Bible, utilizing scripture to point out their fallacies. I think believers are sometimes fearful of reading books by or having discussions with atheists because they feel threatened by their assertions. This book is an excellent resource to assist believers in understanding those perspectives and how inconsistent they are with scripture. (Caveat, we generally cannot debate someone into the kingdom. Individuals were always trying to engage Jesus in theological debates, and He sidestepped those to deal directly with matters of the heart. People generally do not care how much we know until they know how much we care.)
Randy tackles the difficult and often hotly-debated question of Divine Sovereignty vs. Human Choice thoroughly and boldly, acknowledging that both “sides” have supporting scriptures. He encourages the reader not to simply pick and choose scriptures that support one’s theology but to adapt one’s theology to the Scriptures, quoting Charles Spurgeon as saying,
These two truths, I do not believe can ever be welded into one upon any human anvil, but one they shall be in eternity: they are two lines that are so nearly parallel that the mind that shall pursue them farthest, will never discover that they converge; but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring. (p. 278)
I am eager to complete the last third of the book, for flipping through I see many great nuggets such as: God’s delay of justice is actually a demonstration of His patience and grace, How He uses suffering for His glory and our sanctification, and Finding God in the midst of suffering.
This is not a quick-read just because of the nature of the subject and the size of the book. However, while the concepts are weighty, the wording is down-to-earth. Some theological tomes are written such that I can’t even understand the sentences, much less the concepts presented! But this is presented in a very approachable style, and I highly recommend it.
This review originally appeared on the Mocha with Linda blog September 22, 2009.
From Ronnica, Book Nook Club —
I’ve never read any of Randy Alcorn’s writing before (Heaven being his most popular book), but I have been wanting to for a while. I’m glad that I’ve had the opportunity to read this, but saddened that I haven’t yet had the time to complete it before I needed to post this now partial review. I do plan on updating it when I’ve completed it.
Though I haven’t agreed with every point that Randy Alcorn has made, I think he does a great job of getting the subject to the masses and helping Christians and non-Christians alike to think through the classic problem of evil (How can both evil and a good, all-powerful, all-knowing God both exist). This is something that I’ve thought a lot about and will continue to be something I’ll think about.
This review originally appeared by Ronnica on the Book Nook Club blog September 25, 2009.
From Will Robison —
If God is Good, is an excellent straightforward book of apologetics told by way of answering the question, If God is good why does evil exist? Written by Randy Alcorn, the book weighs in at a hefty 500+ pages, and yet I never found it dragging. I highly recommend this book to all with a Christian belief or for those who just want to know the answer to that question.
When I was at Idaho State University, I was required to take a Philosophy 101 course that was a survey of all the philosophers and their philosophies. The course followed a pattern that basically summed up my disdain for philosophy. It would introduce the philosopher. Then it would summarize his or her philosophy. Then it would explain why that philosophy was ultimately discredited. It was basically an eight week course in mental thumb twiddling. “Hey, I know how the world works! Oh, no wait… never mind.” I asked the professor at the end of the course, “If all the philosophers have been proven to be wrong, why do we need to learn their philosophies? I mean, let’s be realistic—in any other area of study when you reach a point where you realize that you have gone down the wrong path, you don’t revel in it and teach it to future generations.” Needless to say, I was not asked back to the Philosophy Department.
I was already starting to realize that if you take a modicum of Christian belief, or even an open mind, you would learn that the Bible answers all philosophical questions about the meaning of life in ways that no other religion or philosophy does. It’s the only major religion where God appears to humanity, claims to be God, and does so in a historical context (not off in some desert, or in a pre-historic era, but at the crossroads of history during the height of the Roman World). There are faith elements involved, to be sure. But Christianity is the only religion that I know of that not only poses the tough questions, but answers them as well in a way that is consistent and irrefutable. It flies in the face of all other religions and philosophies because it’s not based on wishful thinking or bribery. And because it’s not based on human intellect, but divine wisdom, it is something easier to feel than it is to reason. We know it to be right, even if we don’t understand why.
There have been several books trying to explain why that is. These books of apologetics have been written by some of the biggest Christian writers and philosophers ever known. St. Augustine, C. S. Lewis, and many others have all tried to write apologetics to help non-believers come to Christ by explaining to them what the Bible means.
I’ve never liked books of apologetics because I thought they were trying to explain something to me that I knew infinitely better from having read the Bible myself. There was very little new revealed in these books—most books of apologetics are about as welcome to me as a summary clip show on my favorite sit-com. But If God Is Good… tackled apologetics from a different point of view and I felt sucked in to its premise long before I realized that it was still a book of apologetics. After I realized what it was, I kept reading because in answering its thesis question, it turned the Gospel on its head for me and explained Christ’s role as a victim of and a defeater of sin. The best thing you can tell a writer of non-fiction is that it allowed the reader to see things in a new light. It opened my eyes.
One of my favorite images painted by Randy Alcorn is of Christ on the cross absorbing the sins of the world. Sin, as most Christian theologians will tell you, causes the separation of the sinner from God. They cannot experience God while they are under the punishment of sin. The theological implications of Christ on the cross then are that the very human Christ, who is also God, was separated from God by absorbing sin. He became apart from Himself so that He could die and thus defeat death. God became Not God in order to satisfy His own requirements for sin—while at the same time never really stopping to be God. Talk about truly mind-boggling. This image is one of many in this book that allowed me to see the Gospel in a whole new light.
Now, I don’t know that Randy Alcorn and I share too many of the same views on Christianity. He seems a little more evangelical than I’m used to. But after reading this book, I’ve begun to question some of my views. We all need books that push us off those pedestals of pre-conceived notions so that we can grow and learn and think. I don’t know that my views will change as a result of reading this book, but my views will definitely be examined a little more thoroughly than before.
This review originally appeared on Will Robison’s blog September 25, 2009.
From Michael Felker —
In my ministry career there have been a handful of events that have occurred where I had to completely throw out my lesson plans for the week and deal with the fears and questions brought about each horrible incident.
After 9/11 I can remember sitting with the teens and college students in the class room—all of us seemed shell shocked and confused. “How could this have happened?”
After Katrina ripped into New Orleans and the Gulf Coast I gathered with some students in the gym as we tried to make sense of what we were witnessing on television. “What can we do?”
After the Virginia Tech massacre I struggled to help my students process through why something so senseless could have happened. “Why?”
Asking questions about evil and suffering when world events happen is one thing. But how do you deal with pain and hurt and cancer and evil and suffering and death when they strike closer to home?
Many have wrestled with the question: “If God is good why does evil and suffering happen?” As a minister, I wrestle with finding a resource out there that will help me walk alongside someone as they struggle through personal pain, agony, and questions. Unfortunately, finding the right resource has been next to impossible. There are just way too many mixed messages out there.
Typically books concerning the nature of evil and suffering in this world and whether or not an all-powerful God can do anything about it typically fall into three categories: 1) they are written from the perspective of an atheist and therefore write off any discussion about God and faith; 2) they are a sugary sweet devotional book that can be summed up with a pithy “Trust God and it will all work out” finale; or 3) they are deep philosophical treatises that often take readers, who are desperately seeking answers now, months to work through (if they finish).
If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn is decidedly much different and, rather than adhering to these categories, charts a brand new course. Alcorn does a tremendous job discussing the problem of suffering and evil in a way that is both personally engaging and full of scriptural integrity. This book is filled with personal stories of those who have been subjected to the worst that evil and death could throw at them. Some of these stories will tear your heart open. Make no mistake, this is no warm and fuzzy devotional book meant to rest on your bedside table. This is an engaging, thoughtful, well-researched, and challenging book that will give you answers and hope in the middle of whatever storm you are facing.
Alcorn finds his hope within the pages of scripture. He writes in the opening section that, as believers, we can deal openly and honestly with the problem of pain and suffering because God’s Word deals openly and honestly with it. He writes, “The Bible never sugarcoats evil.” Alcorn takes on false arguments, false gospels, and false expectations that all seek to distort, confuse, and destroy the faith of millions who face suffering and true evil. One recurring theme in his book is that it seems that those who have only dealt with suffering in the philosophical realm have walked away from their faith while those who have experienced real suffering draw closer to God and have found meaning and purpose in his loving arms.
As a resource, I love this book. Alcorn has meticulously studied this subject and each chapter includes generous footnotes. There is a helpful scripture index as well as a topical index that make this a user-friendly book about a most difficult subject. Every minister should read this book and keep it at close reach on their desk. Evil and suffering will strike sooner or later. With If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn you will be prepared to minister to those left in its wake.
This review originally appeared on MichaelFelker.com September 25, 2009.
From Gail D. Welborn —
In the author’s matchless style, he personalizes the question of suffering, with a name and a face...
Bestselling author, Randy Alcorn’s, new release, If God is Good, explores the age-old problem of evil and suffering when he asks, “If God is good...why all this evil and suffering?” Then adds, “What if suffering is God’s invitation to trust him?”
He explores a biblical perspective and explains that a different viewpoint doesn’t minimize suffering, but provides a position that equips sufferers to find encouragement and comfort in the arms of God.
Alcorn writes, “The faith that can’t be shaken is the faith that has been shaken.” He quotes 1 Peter 1:7 where God says trials and suffering come to test your faith—which is “of greater worth than gold.” He explores how God uses personal pain and suffering, often initiated by a crisis, to enhance faith and refine it like gold. He suggests instead of thinking of suffering as divine judgment, or proof there is no God, think of seasons of pain and suffering as tests that stretch our faith in God.
He also confronts atheistic arguments in chapter two. If God isn’t willing to prevent evil, He must be impotent, or if God is able to prevent evil, but not willing, that makes Him malicious. Alcorn’s search for perspective taught him, “...wisdom begins with the humility to say there’s a great deal I don’t understand,” and won’t this side of Heaven.
Forty-five chapters, organized into eleven topics, ask hard questions that few ministers attempt to answer. The book can either be read straight through, or topically for those with specific questions, which makes it particularly useful for Bible study. Even though the book tackles a difficult subject, Alcorn’s innovative writing style, is reader friendly, filled with insightful anecdotes, and personal short stories that put a human face on suffering. His focus is on Scripture and “our faith relationship to God in Christ.”
The author’s thorough and confident book includes how to find God, and seek His help and grace when we experience “dark times” of suffering. I believe it’s written with inspired wisdom and humility and offers readers the choice to become “bitter or better” in times of crisis. I consider this a must-read for anyone because we all experience seasons of suffering. If I could, I would nominate it book of the year for 2009.
This review originally appeared on The Cypress Times website October 3, 2009.
From Shiela —
Randy Alcorn is an author I never pass up a chance to read…. this book is another great example of why that is…
Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.
In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God–Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, How can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?
These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.
In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, 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 equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear.
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.
This review originally appeared by Sheila on Bookjourney on September 26, 2009.
From Kim Martinez —
Randy Alcorn is my favorite Christian fiction author.
He is quickly becoming a world-class theologian as well.
You know those questions that niggle in the back of your head, and you hope nobody asks you?
Why is there evil in the world?
Why does God allow suffering?
What’s with a good God sending people to Hell?
What about senseless evil? If God is all powerful, why doesn’t He stop it?
How can life make sense in light of all this guck in my life?
Randy Alcorn has written If God is Good to answer all these questions and many more in language that average people like you and I can understand.
I was talking to someone recently who is having a real and honest faith crisis—one of those that is good for young people to have. Many of her arguments came out of the mouths of her atheists friends. Interestingly, the arguments weren’t any different than when I had similar faith crises, but they now have a chorus. Randy addresses all of these cries of the heart with a compassion and love that makes this book a true treasure.
I am seriously not good at reading theological tomes. If God is Good is just about the deepest theological book I’ve read in years, but it isn’t heavy—Randy will delve into a theological topic by starting with a representative story, explain the topic, and give good reader relief with appropriate supportive real-life and/or biblical examples.
This review originally appeared on Kim Martinez — Staying Focused on September 24, 2009.
From Christy Lockstein —
If God is Good by Randy Alcorn is a stunning must-read. Recent years have seen several books attacking Christianity, and much of the arguments against the existence of God are based upon the presence of evil and suffering within the world. Alcorn spent years pulling together materials to support his thesis that of course God is good, and that He has a reason for the suffering we face. Through liberal usage of Scripture as well as commentaries by lots of theologians, he offers case after case for the goodness of God. I kept a pen and pad of paper next to me while reading this book, because there is an astonishing amount of wisdom here. For Christians struggling with this issue themselves, this offers answers. For those suffering, it offers hope, and for those who question God on this basis, it will force them to question their certainty. This is a book you truly need to read for yourself because it is certain to become a pivotal book in Christian theology.
This review originally appeared on Christy’s Book Blog on September 25, 2009.
From Daryl Merrill —
Recently, as a pastor, I have had a lot people ask me questions about God, suffering, and evil. In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God—Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And How can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?
These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.
In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, 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 equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear.
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.
This review originally appeared on My bookshelf, Christian Life Church September 25, 2009.
From Annette —
If God Is Good is a phenomenally excellent read!
The book faces the question that many in the Christian community do not want to discuss: Why do bad things happen if God is good? Why is there pain and suffering? Why does God allow this?
Randy Alcorn not only addresses these questions, but he also addresses the comments and books written by several atheists.
Randy Alcorn writes a contemplative and convicting book.
The book makes a Christian face and think, and come to a realization of those hard questions that are prickly-uncomfortable to answer.
There was heavy research and interviewing for the book, much time was spent by the author.
The author writes an easy to understand message, he organizes well, the chapters are short yet a wealth of information, the many applications and real life stories are timely and memorable.
The book is long on pages. I had a goal of 100 pages per day. This was easily achieved and gave me a chance to think about each section that I’d read for the day.
This book has done more than coax me to examine myself. It has convicted me of my own selfish, wrongly guided, pitiful thinking. I will only say that since my own mother’s 18+ years of Alzheimer’s, and then her death in 2008 that took 3 weeks to complete. I have had loose threads of grief and how else can I explain it, but unshed tears of why? Randy—if you read this review, thank you, with tears in my eyes, thank you. I feel as if a weight has been lifted.
I have read 86 books so far in 2009, If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn I consider it the best read—the most important read (with the exception of the Bible) of any other book I’ve read this year!
This review originally appeared on Annette’s blog, A Well-Watered Garden, September 25
From Marlo Schalesky —
Here’s a nonfiction book I wanted to tell you about. It’s a great new book on the place of suffering in our lives and what that has to do with God and our relationship with Him. Good stuff!
This review originally appeared on Marlo Schalesky’s blog, September 2009.
From Rabjouspoet —
Ok, so once again I’m running behind on my to-do list. I recently started reading Randy Alcorn’s new book, If God is Good and was supposed to post a review last week. So here goes.
As the title says, this book takes a look at the question, “If God is good, then why is there evil in the world?” It has some interesting answers. Most were not new to me, but some were interesting. I had never before heard of the “open theist” view that asserts that evil is in the world because God has limited knowledge of how humans will use what is given to us. Alcorn presents the case against this view very clearly.
I like the question and answer format because it allows you to peruse the topics at your leisure. All in all, it looks like a decent book that serious tackles the issue at hand.
This review originally appeared on rabjouspoet’s blog, September 29, 2009.
