Dis Ordered A Christian Journey Through The Problem Of Evil Suffering

Dis-Ordered: A Christian Journey Through the Problem of Evil & Suffering is a foundational introduction to the common questions and responses Christians have given to the problem of evil throughout time. Paul Anleitner (Master in Christian Thought, Bethel Seminary) leads readers through the challenges of making sense of the Bible on the problem of evil and helps them compare two-thousand years of Christian thought on God, evil, and suffering from arguably the most influential Christian minds in history. From the book of Job to the Gospels, from ancient Church Fathers such as Augustine to modern Open Theists like Greg Boyd (and over a dozen other perspectives including Origen, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and more!) Anleitner thoughtfully compares some of the most important perspectives on the problem of evil in a way that is not only accessible but also profoundly meaningful to those who are hungry for deeper answers that go beyond common Christian clichés. In the final chapters, he moves from impartial "tour guide" surveying the historical options to humbly offering his own unique synthesis of past perspectives in a way that is intellectually compelling, emotionally moving, and deeply resonant with the Christian Scriptures. What others are saying: "This book models what it looks like to grapple with deep and complex matters with both clarity and charity. Even those who disagree strongly with the author's conclusions will find themselves strengthened by exploring various positions with neither caricature nor jargon." --Dr. Russell Moore, Editor-in-Chief, Christianity Today "Dis-Ordered is an accessible and enlightening introduction to how major Christian thinkers have engaged the problem of evil. Anleitner's writing tackles head-on the hardest questions we face in life about tragedy and suffering, and his synthesis and proposals powerfully attest to the Christian hope that can bring redemption out of what seems like our darkest places." -- Dr. Matthew J. Thomas (University of Oxford), Catholic Theologian, Dominic School of Philosophy and Theology "One of evil's most frequent lies is that we are alone: that God is not with us and no one else has suffered like we do. Paul Anleitner's thorough and readable survey of the history of Christian theology around evil, its explanation, and its ultimate defeat is a vital corrective to that falsehood. Dis-Ordered is a thoughtful and thought-provoking read and would be an excellent choice for small group study." -- Bonnie Kristian (Master in Christian Thought, Bethel Seminary), Author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (Brazos Press) "If you wrestle with the problem of evil and the goodness of God, Paul is a fellow combatant in the arena, reflecting on & experiencing the questions deep in the heart, as he always does. This book does not offer the easy or unearned answer. Most importantly, given the vast incoherent arena of human suffering, these pages offer the wisdom that emerges from silence." -- Fr. Kenneth Tanner, Author of Vulnerable God (Baker Books), Pastor in the Charismatic Episcopal Church

A loving father explores with honesty and intensity all facets of his grief at the death of his 25-year-old son.

Belief in God in the face of suffering is one of the most intractable problems of Christian theology. Many respond to the spiritual challenge of evil by ignoring it, blaming God, or insisting on the inherent meaninglessness of life. In this book, William Greenway contends that we don't have to deny our moral selves by either ignoring evil or abandoning our moral sensibilities toward it. We can open our eyes fully to suffering and evil, and our own complicity in them. We can do so because it is only in this full acceptance of the world's guilt and our own that we make ourselves fully open to agape, to being seized by love of others and God. Inspired by the Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas and the Christian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Challenge of Evil lovingly explains how we can look squarely at the overwhelming suffering in the world and still, by grace, have faith in a good and loving God.

"The question of why God would allow pain and suffering in the world has vexed believers and nonbelievers forever. In Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, Timothy Keller takes on this enduring issue and shows that there is meaning and reason behind pain and suffering, making a forceful and groundbreaking case that this essential part of the human experience can be overcome only by understanding our relationship with God. Using biblical wisdom and personal stories of overcoming adversity, Keller brings a much-needed, fresh viewpoint to this important issue."--Back cover

Your journey begins. The road before you is smooth and straight. You walk for some time, recalling your experiences that call into question the deep realities of life. Up ahead, you can see the road branching in three directions. . . In Why Is There Suffering? you, reader, control the route you take through its "choose-your-own-path" chapters, asking questions and exploring different theological possibilities on the big topics of: God's existence God's nature The nature of suffering Evil Pain Final destiny Taking an intentionally light-hearted approach to a heavy topic this book presents an illustrative introduction to the problem of suffering and the most commonly offered responses to it. Along the road, you'll face multiple possibilities regarding suffering and its theological explanations, and you'll make choices about which one you find most plausible, skipping to that section of the book. Each decision you make leads to further complexities and new choices that reveal how theological beliefs lead to certain conclusions. This book does not offer final answers. Instead, it introduces the "theological" possibilities—both Christian and non-Christian—that you can explore and wrestle with to make informed decisions about your beliefs and clearly see the road you've taken to reach such beliefs. You are, of course, in control of the paths you take through these pages. You decide which explanations work. You can always go back and see what would change if you'd taken a different path. And, who knows. . .you may find that certain pathways resonate with your experiences in ways you didn't expect.

What if suffering were not arbitrary? Not meaningless, nor a sign of punishment or defeat, but a fundamental element of healing, growth, and triumph? What if suffering were positive? This book is a study and meditation on the nature, origin, and reality of suffering. Contemplating the suffering of Christ and other biblical figures, J. Bryson Arthur investigates a theology of suffering that testifies to its necessity within the plan of God. Bryson reminds us that the nature of suffering is to share fellowship with Christ – to take up one’s cross and follow him. Thus, suffering is not arbitrary but intrinsic to the path God has laid before our feet: a path leading to restoration, wholeness, and fullness of life. An important resource for students of theology, this is also a powerful and hopeful read for anyone seeking meaning in the midst of suffering.

This volume approaches questions concerning the status and meaning of suffering in Christian life and Christian theology through the lens of a variety of theological disciplines – biblical, historical, practical, political and systematic theology. Scholars from this range of fields concentrate on a number of questions: Is love intrinsically linked with suffering? Are suffering and loss on some level fundamentally good? How is – and how should – suffering and diminishment be viewed in the Christian tradition? Featuring leading voices that include Linn Tonstad, Bernard McGinn, Anna Rowlands, John Swinton and Paul Murray, this volume brings together essays touching on concrete issues such as cancer, mental health, and the experience of refugees, and discusses broad themes including vulnerability, kenosis and tragedy. In correlating these themes with the examination of texts ranging from Paul's letters to works of the Cappadocians, Thomas Aquinas, John of the Cross and Mother Teresa, Suffering and the Christian Life offers fresh and accessible academic approaches to a question of vital personal, existential significance.

This book explores the implications of recent insights in modern neuroscience that attribute mental capacities often ascribed to a disembodied soul instead to the functions of the brain and body in collaboration with social experience. It explores how this insight changes the traditional "care of souls," encouraging more attention to fostering spiritual growth through a social and communal focus.

Must we stumble through sorrow and tragedy witout understanding or is there a lighted way-a path-through suffering? Elisabeth Elliot plots the treacherous passage through pain, grief and loss a journey most of us will make many times in our life. Through it all, she says there is only one reliable path, and if you walk it, you will see the transformation of all your losses, heartbreaks and tragedies into something strong and purposeful. In this powerful moving book, Elisabeth Elliot does not hesitate to ask hard questions to examine tenderly the hurts we suffer and to explore boldy the nature of God whose sovereign care for us is so intimate and perfect that he confounds our finite understanding. "A Path through Suffering" is a book for anyone searching for faith, comfort and assurance.