Dis-Ordered: A Christian Journey Through the Problem of Evil & Suffering is a foundational introduction to the common questions and responses Christians have given to the problem of evil throughout time. Paul Anleitner (Master in Christian Thought, Bethel Seminary) leads readers through the challenges of making sense of the Bible on the problem of evil and helps them compare two-thousand years of Christian thought on God, evil, and suffering from arguably the most influential Christian minds in history. From the book of Job to the Gospels, from ancient Church Fathers such as Augustine to modern Open Theists like Greg Boyd (and over a dozen other perspectives including Origen, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and more!) Anleitner thoughtfully compares some of the most important perspectives on the problem of evil in a way that is not only accessible but also profoundly meaningful to those who are hungry for deeper answers that go beyond common Christian cliches. In the final chapters, he moves from impartial tour guide surveying the historical options to humbly offering his own unique synthesis of past perspectives in a way that is intellectually compelling, emotionally moving, and deeply resonant with the Christian Scriptures.
What others are saying:
This book models what it looks like to grapple with deep and complex matters with both clarity and charity. Even those who disagree strongly with the author’s conclusions will find themselves strengthened by exploring various positions with neither caricature nor jargon. –Dr. Russell Moore, Editor-in-Chief, Christianity Today
Dis-Ordered is an accessible and enlightening introduction to how major Christian thinkers have engaged the problem of evil. Anleitner’s writing tackles head-on the hardest questions we face in life about tragedy and suffering, and his synthesis and proposals powerfully attest to the Christian hope that can bring redemption out of what seems like our darkest places. – Dr. Matthew J. Thomas (University of Oxford), Catholic Theologian, Dominic School of Philosophy and Theology
If you wrestle with the problem of evil and the goodness of God, Paul is a fellow combatant in the arena, reflecting on & experiencing the questions deep in the heart, as he always does. This book does not offer the easy or unearned answer. Most importantly, given the vast incoherent arena of human suffering, these pages offer the wisdom that emerges from silence. – Fr. Kenneth Tanner, Author of Vulnerable God (Baker Books), Pastor in the Charismatic Episcopal Church
