A Review of Christopher Morgan’s Suffering and the Goodness of God by Tom Galpin (MDiv ’09)

One cannot go through life without being wounded by and suffering at the hands of evil. In one sense it is a great equalizer. Whether it is the loss of parental abandonment, spousal betrayal, the death or sickness of a loved one, or emotional and/or sexual abuse, for many the scars left by these events do not go away. Images of personal pain and suffering play through the minds and dreams of evil’s victims. Such experiences--and either the accompanying personal or vicarious suffering--beg the question about the presence and activity of an all-powerful, benevolent God. The cry of “Where are you God?” rings heavily on the blood and tears of victims across the world. As the Church we cannot be silent about evil and suffering. As the Church we cannot continue to be concerned only with personal piety. And as the Church our language, ethics, hermeneutic has to encompass the cries of the wounded if we are going to grow and bring the good news of the Gospel to a needy world.

To being to do this, the editors of Suffering and the Goodness of God set out to examine contemporary questions, interpret key biblical texts, recount the overall biblical story, address central issues in theology and philosophy, speak to church and individual concerns, engage personal, pastoral and academic questions and offer hope through testimonies of God’s sustaining grace (pg. 22). Without a doubt, this is a large undertaking. At the very least Suffering and the Goodness of God serves well to begin this conversation afresh within the Church’s discussion of suffering.

In his concluding essay, John Feinberg notes that the one’s suffering does not always need a philosophical or theological discourse (223) or a sympathetic sharing of despondent feelings (222), rather what is needed is a sharing of burdens through pastoral care (222; 223). Yarbrough’s opening essay and his eleven theses begin to equip the reader to do such. Here, the opening the book fleshes out well to enable the reader to enter into a narrative of Biblical suffering. From Kaiser’s exegesis of suffering in the OT to McCartney’s exegesis of the NT to Morgan and Peterson’s walk through a brief look “at suffering from a wider angle” (117), Suffering and the Goodness of God works well to ready the reader on Scripture’s address of evil, suffering and the Lord’s intentional--and overt--devotion to the eradication of such suffering. Frame’s essay additionally provides a nuanced philosophical treatment of the “problem of evil,” along with some theologically wise advice on language and rhetoric in the discussion. Similarly, Edgar’s essay provides a wise pastoral lens through which the contemporary Church is to understand and address specific cases of terrible suffering (e.g. the rampant, global sex trade). And finally, Calhoun and Feinberg’s respective essays provide the reader two images of their very spiritual and corporeal suffering, and the corresponding stories, language and ethos that has become part of their health and healing.

Again, Suffering and the Goodness of God serves well to begin and/or continue the Church’s conversation on suffering in Scripture and one’s own life. Because of the different authors and their unique perspectives, the strengths of this book are numerous. A few of these strengths are as follows: Yarbrough’s essay “Christ and the Crocodiles” beautifully (and skillfully) summarizes the book by achieving three things simultaneously. First, it draws the reader into a visceral encounter with the Biblical narrative of suffering; that is to say, it invites (by recreating) the reader to enter into the Biblical story. Second, it challenges the reader to think, act and feel as a Christian toward suffering and evil in general, and toward specific contemporary instances that need to be addressed. And third, Yarbrough presents Gospel hope, affirmation and encouragement for the Church and the victims that can (and does) carry tremendous weight.

Dan McCartney’s essays of suffering and the goodness of God in the NT flesh out much of the same principles and ethos as applied to the NT narrative. A key point in this, of which Mcartney does a stellar job of recounting and reminding, is the suffering of Christ as a pastoral and theological center. In one such instance (of many worthy quotes), McCartney summarizes beautifully: “...if suffering truly is necessary, it is not arbitrary or haphazard but purposeful. Therefore, while the proximate cause of suffering may be evil, its presence in the overall scheme of things is for biblical writers not something that calls God’s goodness into question; rather, it is the means by which God’s goodness is expressed. All true redemption is via suffering--first the suffering of God’s own Son, and then by application the suffering of the disciples as they are linked to the Son.” (85)

Two final essays to note: “Poems in the Park,” by David Calhoun, and “Journey is Suffering,” by John S. Feinberg. Both essays work well together to invite the reader into personal stories of grief, tragedy, suffering and Gospel hope and comfort. As the book itself notes, evil and suffering function as a mystery. That is, there is a level to which it doesn’t make sense. In this, then, the Church’s pastoral response must first be one of care, concern and love. And, the first way to do this toward others, is to be invited into their story and their pain. Calhoun and Feinberg both do this wonderfully. Through each, I felt both a deep sadness for the brokenness of the world and the body, but also a deeper comfort through the hope and healing that only the Gospel can provide.

Without a doubt, I would recommend this book. Specifically, some of the stronger essays do a tremendous job educating, informing and shaping a community that must be a Gospel comfort and hope to those who suffering, both in the community and those outside. Again, the greatest strength of Suffering and the Goodness of God is that it serves well to begin afresh a conversation in the Church on suffering. From this, I hope that this book will challenge us where we need to be challenged, affirm us where we need to be affirmed, and comfort us where we need to be comforted.

Covenant Theological Seminary alumnus Tom Galpin (MDiv ’09)
Pastoral Resident: Grace Church Seattle
Seattle, WA


(this post contains affliate links to Amazon.com)