Why a Suffering World Makes Sense - Softcover

Tiegreen, Chris

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0801065755 ISBN 13: 9780801065750

Publisher: Baker Books, 2006

Synopsis

Did you know that the number one objection among skeptics and the number one reason for doubt among believers is the problem of suffering? Why did an all-powerful, all-loving God create a world that he knew was destined to fall? What's in it for him? Why does he let us struggle? Christians and skeptics alike share these concerns. This unique book reveals that there is a point to suffering--and it isn't about us, our pain, or our confusion. Though they are hard to bear, pain and suffering make sense when we consider what they reveal about God--his mercy, forgiveness, and healing can only be known in an imperfect world. Filling a void in Christian literature, Why a Suffering World Makes Sense encourages readers to let God's hidden attributes be revealed in their pain, thereby helping them unravel the mystery of who God really is.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

An evangelical Christian attempts to explain the thorniest question in Christian theology—why evil and suffering exist in a world created and loved by God. Tiegreen (At His Feet) posits that suffering makes sense because it allows God to teach us something. "Sin highlights glory," he states, pointing to the New Testament story (John 9:2–3) in which Jesus tells the disciples a man was born blind so that God's works might be displayed. No discussion of theodicy would be complete without mentioning the Holocaust, but Tiegreen's treatment leaves something to be desired. He concludes from this event that "the darkness is the best place for [God] to be revealed," using as the premiere example the story of Christian survivor Corrie ten Boom, whose ministry he describes as having a greater impact during and after the war. Without dismissing ten Boom's suffering, much more could have been said about the deaths of countless Jews to round out the discussion. Tiegreen's most compelling argument is for "a new reformation" in Christianity, one where Christians drop the "why me" questions leveled at God and instead ask God "how do you want to reveal yourself in this situation?" This book may be most appealing to those Christians who insist on finding answers to complex questions. (Jan.)
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About this edition

• Publisher: Baker Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0801065755
• ISBN 13: 9780801065750
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208