Product Description

In times of questioning and despair, people often quote the Bible to provide answers. Surprisingly, though, the Bible does not have one answer but many "answers" that often contradict one another. Consider these competing explanations for suffering put forth by various biblical writers:

• The prophets: suffering is a punishment for sin
• The book of Job, which offers two different answers: suffering is a test, and you will be rewarded later for passing it; and suffering is beyond comprehension, since we are just human beings and God, after all, is God
• Ecclesiastes: suffering is the nature of things, so just accept it
• All apocalyptic texts in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament: God will eventually make right all that is wrong with the world

For renowned Bible scholar Bart Ehrman, the question of why there is so much suffering in the world is more than a haunting thought. Ehrman's inability to reconcile the claims of faith with the facts of real life led the former pastor of the Princeton Baptist Church to reject Christianity.

In God's Problem, Ehrman discusses his personal anguish upon discovering the Bible's contradictory explanations for suffering and invites all people of faith—or no faith—to confront their deepest questions about how God engages the world and each of us.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14049 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-01
• Released on: 2008-02-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In this sometimes provocative, often pedantic memoir of his own attempts to answer the great theological question about the persistence of evil in the world, Ehrman, a UNC–Chapel Hill religion professor, refuses to accept the standard theological answers. Through close readings of every section of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, he discovers that the Bible offers numerous answers that are often contradictory. The prophets think God sends pain and suffering as a punishment for sin and also that human beings who oppress others create such misery; the writers who tell the Jesus story and the Joseph stories think God works through suffering to achieve redemptive purposes; the writers of Job view pain as God's test; and the writers of Job and Ecclesiastes conclude that we simply cannot know why we suffer. In the end, frustrated that the Bible offers such a range of opposing answers, Ehrman gives up on his Christian faith and fashions a peculiarly utilitarian solution to suffering and evil in the world: first, make this life as pleasing to ourselves as we can and then make it pleasing to others. Although Ehrman's readings of the biblical texts are instructive, he fails to convince readers that these are indeed God's problems, and he fails to advance the conversation any further than it's already come. (Mar.)
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Review
"Ehrman’s clarity, simplicity, and congeniality help make this a superb introduction to its subject." -- Booklist

About the Author

Bart D. Ehrman is the author of more than twenty books, including the New York Times bestselling Misquoting Jesus. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and is a leading authority on the early Church and the life of Jesus. He has been featured in Time and has appeared on NBC's Dateline, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, CNN, The History Channel, major NPR shows, and other top media outlets. He lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Customer Reviews

What the Bible says about evil, step-by-step
I've read other works by Ehrman and this book is Ehrman at his finest. He takes the reader step-by-step through the Bible and shows how each author or set of authors explains the existence of human suffering.

In the personal sections of the book, Ehrman talks about the reasons for his own doubts about the existence of God. But, contrary to some of the other reviews, Ehrman NEVER makes the narcissistic argument: "Why does God allow ME to suffer?". He takes a much bigger look at the problem and asks, "Do we live in a reality that appears to have been designed by God?" "Did God create certain mosquitoes to be the perfect host for the malaria virus so that it could kills millions upon millions of his children?"

Side note:
I'm befuddled by other reviews that assert that the Bible never tries to explain the reason for suffering. Explanations abound in the Bible. The prophets tell Israel very plainly why Israel is suffering. The New Testament epistle writers explicitly tell their flocks why they are suffering. Job's friends tell him why he is suffering. YHWH gives perfectly clear explanations about why he decides to inflict suffering.

Good points, too much scripture
First I'll say that I am an atheist and came to atheism because of suffering and the lack of answers and intervention provided by any god. I agree with the author's points, though I go a step further into atheism.

That being said, I found the first 70% of the book difficult to read. For one thing, way too much scripture for me. I put down the bible (which I've read in entirety at least four times) 17 years ago because it was too violent, weird and irrational (among other things). I skimmed through the scriptures in this book because frankly I didn't need them to see the point. I felt that the different categories of suffering could have been explained more succintly.

I did quite enjoy the last 1/3 of the book. The idea that everyone always thinks the end times are their times is a very compelling bible debunker. My parents are Jehovah's Witnesses and are absolutely convinced Armeggedon is nigh, it makes no sense but they are "certain". I also appreciate the point about religious certitude allowing people to just not deal with the suffering on the planet (the world is evil, god will take care of it so we don't need to). Hopefully our species will evolve to a point where we are accountable to each other and the planet instead of using the skygod will save us cop-out.

Overall, the book is a slightly above average bible debunker and reminded me of my long standing belief that many of the bibl'e authors were quite mentally ill.

Thoughtful look at a difficult problem
In a very thoughtful book, Bart Ehrman wrestles with the question of theodicy (how there can be suffering in a world created by a perfect God). He comes to the conclusion--I think a correct one-- that the Bible and Christianity offers no solution to this quandary. Nor is he satisfied with the answers he has been given--mostly cliches about "free will" or vague non-answers like "Who are we to question God." Like Ehrman, I lost my faith because I could not reconcile suffering with an all-loving God. I highly recommend this book to believers and atheists alike.