A resource for every believer’s shelf

If God Is Good, Randy Alcorn

Alcorn has provided a solid resource dealing with this perennial concern, one suitable to proponents on both sides of the “Divine Sovereignty/Free Will” concern. The inclusion of personal testimony/struggle with the issue of suffering is, in my opinion, especially helpful, prompting one’s identification with the particular question. The development of the question is reflected in the layout of the chapters:
1. Understanding the Problem of Evil & Suffering
2. Understanding Evil: It's Origins, Nature & Consequences
3. Problems for Non-Theists: Moral Standards, Goodness & Extreme Evil
4. Proposed Solutions to the Problem of Evil & Suffering: Limiting God's Attributes
5. Evil & Suffering in the Great Drama of Christ's Redemptive Work
6. Divine Sovereignty & Meaningful Human Choice: Accounting for Evil & Suffering
7. The Two Eternal Solutions to the Problem of Evil: Heaven & Hell
8. God's Allowance & Restraint of Evil & Suffering
9. Evil & Suffering Used for God's Glory
10. Why Does God Allow Suffering?
11. Living Meaningfully in Suffering

The author’s scriptural reflections throughout the narrative are seemingly designed to lead us to the text and wrestle with the issue ourselves.

The centrality of the Cross throughout the presentation is especially helpful, as was the observation of Joni respecting the ministry of suffering when she wrote”…feeling sin’s sting while on the way to heaven…” As I read that, my first thought was, “Yes. Lest I forget”!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

This is a book to recommend.