The existence and meaning of evil and suffering is a serious question that deserves careful thought. Randy Alcorn has met that standard in If God is Good. Alcorn provides a thorough and thoughtful treatment of the problem for everyone, not just Christians.
If God is Good has some excellent features:
It’s user-friendly. Although long (494 pages of text), chapters are relatively short and each section in a chapter is clearly delineated. If you’re looking for something specific, it won’t be hard to find.
It deals with an issue rarely brought up by other treatments of the subject: non-theists, especially atheists, need to have an answer to this question, too. An atheist or non-Christian can ask a Christian, “What do you say to someone in extreme pain and what kind of meaning can there possibly be in this?” But a Christian can turn the tables and ask, “What do you say to someone in extreme pain and what kind of meaning do you think there can possibly be in this?” Alcorn presents the problems non-theists face – no basis for condemning evil, goodness, and the existence of what he calls “extreme evil.” He shows that the Christian worldview better explains evil than any other.
Alcorn is at his best when he explains why God allows suffering (Section 10) and how to live meaningfully in the midst of suffering and pain. Alcorn’s words are encouraging, helpful, and faithful to Scripture.
I highly recommend this book. You can take a look or buy it here.
(Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.)
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