5 Books Dealing with The Problem of Evil

Today, I'm back with my top 5 books on evil and suffering in the world. Let me know what you think of the list and if I missed a book you'd recommend put it down in the comments!

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[gloriambula]

I love your list, I would also add Tim Keller's book "Walking with God through Pain and Suffering." It's a great book that really helped me get through a rough year. Much love from Nairobi, Kenya....love your content Sean.

[nadjeanbible]

Dear Dr. Sean McDowell,

As a Christian apologist myself, I must confess that you are a powerful instrument used by God to equip His people worldwide. Your ministry has been a tremendous blessing.

Abundant blessings to you and your family.

Jean Mary

[OldThingsPassAway]

Sean, It would be wonderful to see a top 5 books for Bible contradictions. I know that is a big stumbling block for some people. Or possibly about the Trinity. Either would be great.

[FrankCostanza-en]

Ecclesiastes is also relevant to the problem of evil. We seek wealth and physical pleasure, but they ultimately do not satisfy. Much of suffering is thought to be about not having wealth and physical pleasure. But when you have it all, what then?

[philtheo]

Personally my favorite introductory level book on the problem of evil is... 😊

Thr recently released 40 Questions about Suffering and Evil (Greg Welty). Welty is a philosopher and a theologian with a PhD in philosophy from the University of Oxford, he studied under Richard Swinburne, as well as other greats like the theologian John Frame. Welty also wrote Why Is There Evil in the World?, which is equally good as an introduction to the problem of evil.

[KevinKnickerbocker-ht]

Diane Langberg's "Suffering and the Heart of God, " is a profound inquiry of the damage experienced by broken people in a broken world. She guides one through a journey of healing with bold honesty, while grappling with, and clinging to our Lord who has entered into our suffering. It is practical for all honest strugglers. Thank you, Sean, for all you are doing! You have been a great blessing in my life.

[godsgospelgirl]

I loved The Problem of Pain when I was a teen and first grappling with the amount of pain/evil/tragedy in the world.

[panoramaofprophecy]

I'd also recommend *Theodicy of Love: Cosmic Conflict and the Problem of Evil by John Peckham (Baker Academic).*

I'm currently reading it and it's a great read so far. He focusses primarily on the cosmic conflict theme throughout Scripture and how that ties into the problem of evil (chapters 3 through 5). Definitely a new and fresh approach to the problem of evil.

[kletts]

Thank you. I have "Problem of Evil" and Job (obviously). I should start "Problem..." after Christmas.

[chrisajr]

Theodicy of Love by John C. Peckham is hands down THE best book on the problem of evil. You MUST interview him right away. And his book “Why We Pray: Understanding Prayer in the Context of the Cosmic Conflict” is the best book on petitionary prayer available. Please read his books and interview him!

[joshcleveland]

A book that helped me with this topic is Jim McGuiggan's "Celebrating the Wrath of God: Reflections on the Agony and the Ecstasy of His Relentless Love"

[KentVancil]

When All Hell Breaks Loose is a classic. You may already have it. It’s by Lawson.

[haydeemartinez]

This is very helpful, I am always interested in good books to read. Thank you 🙂

[e.m.]

At first I asked myself "Why is he sitting behind a picture of Spider-Man?", and then I realized it was your laptop. 🤣

[mkl]

David Pawson’s 3 videos on: “Why Does God Allow Natural Disasters”. Excellent!!!

[brianhagerman]

I like William Lane Craig’s coverage on this in his book Hard Questions, Real Answers.

[philtheo]

00:00 Introduction
00:36 The book of Job (Bible)
01:25 Why Does God Allow Evil? (Clay Jones)
02:00 Thr Problem of Pain (C.S. Lewis)
02:45 Evil and the Justice of God (N.T. Wright)
03:35 Broken Planet: If There's a God, then Why Are There Natural Disasters and Diseases? (Sharon Dirckx)
04:11 Outro

[glennshrom]

I think we too often think that God is ultimately happiness, whereas God is ultimately love. Love requires sacrifice (a cost to self). If there is to be a cost, it means it's going to hurt somehow. Love can't be expressed where nobody has to give up anything or suffer ever. Love requires selflessness. God makes beings who are not merely extensions of Himself, but are totally "other", even while we/they depend on God for our origin and His sustaining power. God does not just get His own way, or that wouldn't be love. Love can't be expressed where everyone always gets their own way all the time, and God doesn't even get His own way. (See Sproul's distinctions between three types of "will": God's sovereign will, God's will of volition, God's prescriptive will.) Finally, we get the greatest understanding of love when we see love in a whole array of conditions. Love does not require a whole array of conditions for it to be love, but love cannot be understood as unconditional unless we see it withstand a whole array of conditions - both pleasant and adverse. God wants creatures who are wooed by His love to respond in love, and who are able to imitate Him in His love nature. The present age is where this happens, so that in the coming age all of creation will be clear about the nature of love even when conditions are ideal, when suffering ends, and when God and creation (including His people) are one in purpose and love relationship. The other consideration is that the unseen beings are an audience, and they also want to see if God is truly loving, and if human beings can truly imitate God as beloved children. If love works, then God is justified, and so are His people. Those who resist and oppose love will be cast out of creation so that there is no interference against God's beautiful and glorious will of volition for the coming age, when the new heavens and new earth begin. Alvin Plantinga's work is helpful from what I've seen and heard, but no particular book comes to mind, since I haven't read any of his books yet. The way we embrace Jesus as the worthy king, worthy of our loyalty and devotion, is by having seen his love expressed in the first coming events, and in the current age. Others are drawn to Jesus by the recognition of his love, expressed in all those ways (unconditional, selfless, sacrificial), and by the way His people imitate that agape character. Where the Spirit of God is not at work, no such love exists. Deut. 30.6 is a reality in the New Covenant era, in ways that could never have been accomplished simply by responding to God's (or Jesus') commands for us to love Him and love one another: "The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live." When we love God, we can't help but love His image (humanity)!

[stevestratton]

Desperately Wicked: Philosophy, Christianity and the Human Heart by Patrick Downey

[terraloft]

Henry Nouwen "the Wounded Healer"
Thankyou, sir, for consistent lifting of Word, Living and Active, Jesus Christ