How can we reconcile belief in a loving God with the suffering of innocent human beings and earthly creatures in the natural world? This question, as old as the Old Testament’s book of Job, has been mainly grappled with over the centuries by learned theologians and philosophers. But in this groundbreaking work, the author is sent on a journey across thousands of miles to speak to Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians like himself following the 2004 colossal tsunami waves that killed more than 230, 000 people. In the wake of such carnage, why do some people lose their faith while others emerge with it intact and strengthened? Are these events in the natural world really linked to divine justice as ‘punishment for sin’? And if not, what are the best possible explanations for why an intelligent and caring deity would fashion a world in which babies can die of leukemia and the elderly fall victim to deadly viruses such as COVID-19? This account will offer profound food for thought for troubled believers and curious agnostics alike.
关于作者
Mark Dowd is a former Dominican friar turned BBC journalist and is the presenter of a number of award-winning television programs on faith and religious belief.