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Resources for Thinking About Suffering and Evil
By Mark D. Roberts | Tuesday, April 17, 2007
In light of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, I thought it might be helpful to put up some resources for people who are looking for answers to the tough questions having to do with suffering, evil, God, and faith. Though there are limits to our understanding, and thus to the satisfaction will find in this conversation, nevertheless I believe there are some truths we can know that will help us find guidance and even solace.
In my last post I mentioned several recent contributions to Newsweek’s “On Faith” website, in response to the question: “How does your faith tradition explain (and respond to) senseless tragedies such as the Virginia Tech shootings?” Once again, they are:
“God With Us, Grieving,” by N. T. Wright
“God of Hope and Healing” by Chuck Colson
“Facing the Reality of Evil” by Albert Mohler, Jr.
“God Cares. God Loves. We Choose” by Bishop Desmond Tutu
Some of the best books on the subjects of suffering and evil are:
N.T. Wright, Evil and the Justice of God
Jerry Sittser, A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss
Over the years I’ve done quite a bit of speaking and writing on the subjects of suffering and evil. You can find some of this at the following links:
Sermons
“Finding God When Life is Hard”
“The Strangest Thing About God”
Blog Series
My book, No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer, is not about the problem of suffering. But it does encourage us to be honest with God, even in our anger and doubt. If we take our true feelings and thoughts before the Lord, He will meet us, teach us, and grant us the peace of His presence.
Topics: Suffering and Evil |
5 Responses to “Resources for Thinking About Suffering and Evil”
Comments
Thanks for your willingness to make a comment. Note: I do not moderate comments before they are posted, though they are automatically screened for profanities, spam, etc., and sometimes the screening program holds comments for moderation even though they're not offensive. I encourage open dialogue and serious disagreement, and am always willing to learn from my mistakes. I will not delete comments unless they are extraordinarily rude or irrelevant to the topic at hand. You do need to login in order to make a comment, because this cuts down on spam. You are free to use a nickname if you wish. Finally, I will eventually read all comments, but I don't have the time to respond to them on a consistent basis because I've got a few other demands on my time, like my "day job," my family, sleep, etc.
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April 18th, 2007 at 5:13 am
Dear Mark,
I am also a Presbyterian pastor and am seeking to find ways to bring God’s grace, love and mercy to people who are wondering “what the heck is going on” and feeling overwhelmed with grief. I appreciate your writing and the resource suggestions you’ve given.
I would add another book that I have found tremendously helpful. It’s Philip Yancey’s book “Where is God When It Hurts” published by Zondervan.
Thank you for your insightful and compassionate writing!
God’s grace and wisdom to you,
Bob
April 18th, 2007 at 7:40 am
[…] Mark D. Roberts for a few of […]
April 18th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Bob: Yes, Yancey’s book is a fine one. Thanks.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:30 am
[…] Mark Roberts shares some helpful resources for thinking about suffering and evil in the wake of the killings at Viriginia Tech. In light of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, I thought […]
April 18th, 2007 at 9:54 am
[…] Mark Roberts shares some helpful resources for thinking about suffering and evil in the wake of the killings at Viriginia Tech. In light of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, I thought […]