If God, Why Evil? By Norman Geisler – Book Review

Interested in some good Fall reading? Check out this book from Norman Geisler: If God, Why Evil?

Probably the number one reason people say they have a hard time believing in God is the evil and suffering we see in the world. Where was God on 9/11? Why did God even allow the possibility of evil and suffering? So much of the evil we see seems totally pointless. How does the Christian worldview make sense of this?

Most of my knowledge on this subject comes from what I learned from Clay Jones and William Lane Craig. Still, Norman Geisler’s When Skeptics Ask was one of my first introductions to this issue. What peaked my curiosity about his new book was the subtitle: “A New Way to Think About the Question.” So what’s new about this treatment of the issue?

If you haven’t read much by Norman Geisler, you might find his ideas on whether or not we are living in the best of all possible worlds adds something new to the discussion. If you’re interested in how Molinists like William Lane Craig and Alvin Plantinga reconcile the providence of God with human free will, you’ll like this. If you have no idea what I just said, that’s OK. Pick this book up. You’ll be glad you did!

For me, the most interesting part of this book was actually the appendix, especially his discussion of animal death before Adam. I recently began getting questions about this while presenting my talk, “Why Does God Allows Suffering?” at churches. I wish this section was more in-depth. It’s interesting how your view on the age of the earth plays into your understanding of this issue.

The appendix also includes arguments for the existence of God as well as his critique of New York Times bestseller, The Shack. That seemed kind of odd to find back there, but you can consider it a free bonus!