It's taken me a while to write a review on this book. Partly because I've been super busy, and partly because I still have not finished the entire book. However, I think I've read enough of it, to give my thoughts on it.
In 'If God is Good', Randy Alcorn addresses the difficult question of "If God is good, why is there evil and suffering in the world?" Just like in all his other books, Alcorn writes in such a way that anyone can understand this deep issue. While the book is easy to read in the way he writes it, it is a huge and rather overwhelming topic, so at times, it's felt a bit hard to get through. It really makes me think, though, and makes me ask myself, "What would I say, if someone asked ME why God allows evil and suffering?" While I believe that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and loving, I don't know if I would have been able to answer this question very well before reading this book. Sure, I believe those things, but do I understand them enough to explain them to someone else? This book has given me some tools to use, so I'll be more prepared the next time someone argues that there can't be a God due to the evil and suffering in the world.
I really appreciate how Alcorn studies different viewpoints, such as open theism, and examines them in light of the Bible. He discusses their strong points, but also their weak points, where they fail to line up with scripture. I would highly recommend this book to anyone struggling to understand evil and suffering, or to those who, like me, want to be equipped to explain the topic when asked. I look forward to finishing this book, and learning even more on this topic than I have already.
I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.
