God's Problem

Not God's problem, our problem

Ehrman goes through the various explanations, gleaned from the Bible, to explain why God allows/initiates suffering (pain, illness, etc.) yincluding some that I wasn't aware of. The explanations range from making God look weak - it's the Devil that causes it, to the sadistic - God kills Job's wife and kids to win a bet. It also becomes clear that the traditional explanations are contradictory not only with each other but an orthodox understanding of the faith and the nature of God.

He wears his learning lightly and the reader does not need theological training to understand the points being made. Ehrman relates his own struggles with the predominant explanations for suffering within the Evangelical community which reflect my own experience but I suspect his story and conclusions could alienate conservative readers, snake handlers, etc.

Anyway, to cut to the chase, this book is for anyone interested in why we suffer and the serendipitous nature of suffering and is willing to have their views challenged.