Is God to Blame? Moving Beyond Pat Answers to the Problem of Suffering

This book reads like a non stop thriller. If you have listened to Boyd's sermons before then his writing style seems to replicate his speach: binding, well thought through, intellectually stimulating and high on adrenaline. It adresss an age old question that posessed human kind: How can an omnipotent, all loving an goid God permit the existrnce if evil? This problem is called the Theodicy-question.Boyd starts by bringing into question the so called "Blue Print" model of the mainstream theology: God is in control and wills everything, even the most brutal and cruel atrocities in the history of man kind. Boyd's view is that inhumane cruelties like that cannot be related to an all loving God at all. He pokes hiles into the Blue print midel and shows that it actually leads to a further crisis of faith for believers and needs to be questioned.So the question is, what is Boyd's alternative? Boyd brings into picture the existence of Evil. His view on the biblical view of evil is that it is threefold:The Freedom of choice of human agentsThe freedom of choice of spiritual beingsThe complexity and chaos of nature itself.Boyd states that evil needs to be analysed in brought to insight for all to see. This is a fresh approach to the question of Theodicy. God is not responsible for evil in this world, but eventually takes responsibility for evil via the crucifixion of Jesus. Thus God did not plan for this in creating the universe, He responded to the brokenness by changing his mind and delivered mankind through his only Son Jesus. If mankind wonders what God is like, then we need not to search further than Jesus. In Jesus we encounter the full nature of God.But, like all approaches within Theodicy, Boyd's version also creates certain questions. Although He is right in shwoing the short comings of the Blue Print model, the question is if his alternative is really a better one? Boyd is of opinion that God cannot always prevent Evil from harming human beings even if He wills to. There are too many consequences that is too complex for human beings to understand. Boyd's opinion of scripture's detail on the function of prayer also creates a series of questions: it seems that the more people pray the stronger the army against evil forcess and the more likely the chance that our prayers will be answered as succesful. I have appreciatuon fir his use of scripture through this, but ut seems that Boyd is also loosing perspective of how this will be understood by believers who are the innocent victims of violent crimes, of brutal senseless killings. How is God with these people and is God defenseless against their unslaught and what does this say about God?Never the less, a very good read though. Worth reading an engaging with others on the question of Theodicy, which is relevant in our days.

This is the fourth book of Greg Boyd's that I have purchased this summer, and I have 3 more in my cart. There is a good reason for this. Is God to Blame? - Beyond Pat Answers to the Problem of Suffering is--I think--the layman's version of his book Satan & the Problem of Evil. In it, we find that Dr. Boyd is very good at answering the toughest theological questions. He is dedicated to the tough questions--something I greatly admire. In my own life, I aspire to be that kind of theologian and Boyd has become an inspiration to me.In Is God to Blame?, Boyd refutes the "blueprint theology" in which all things are considered to be part of God's divine predestined plan. However, the book is mainly focused on answering hard questions. Why is this happening to me? Why is there suffering? Why does God seem so arbitrary? Why are my prayers unanswered while others' are answered? Why do I suffer while others are blessed? Why do my prayers fail when the prayers of others come true? Does prayer even make a difference?You may think these questions cannot be answered--after all, they have been asked and pondered for thousands of years--but Boyd does an incredible job answering them. His answers are about as good as it gets. One thing I really respect about Boyd is how close he stays to Scripture. All of his points are backed by considerable Scriptural support. Another thing I respect about him is that he never settles for cliches or "pat answers" but always faces the problems head on, considers their reality, and provides a solution that--though could never take away the pain--can satisfy the doubt and the intellectual frustration with God and life in general. I wish people like Woody Allen would read this book.The problems Boyd confronts in this book are relevant to all people, and his answers are incredibly sufficient and helpful. Reading this book has been a great encouragement to my walk with God and has been great fuel for my faith. I highly recommend it.

In the end, this is a compelling case for why God interacts with His creation as He does. Boyd ties together ideas I have known about God - like there are some things God cannot do because He cannot contradict His own character - to explain how some things necessarily happen outside of God's plan. Indeed, some things must happen outside of His plan, as there is no plausible explanation for evil in a world that perfectly follows the plans of a God who desires that all would know Him.My only complaint is that Boyd begins and ends his argument with the assertion that we must see the entire character of God exclusively through the person of Christ. I cannot ascribe to this aspect of his argument, as it seems to discount the importance of the Old Testament. I suspect this is not what was intended. And truthfully, to explain the context of the Old Testament in the person of Christ in this book would have sidetracked the entire discussion. In the end, I think Boyd could have made his argument without starting and ending in this place. He would have avoided introducing a potentially controversial assertion that would require full chapters to explore. I was so distracted by the incomplete attention paid to this assertion that I nearly dismissed the whole work and set it aside. In the end I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did. This really is a good book.In the end, I think Boyd could have made the same argument with less controversy.

This really is an outstanding book. Tackling difficult issues that trouble Christians and non-Christians alike, Boyd has produced an incredibly thorough and thoughtful book. Suffering, evil, even love itself, are the inevitable consequence of God's decision to give free will. God is love. He doesn't create evil but he does use it.But don't stop with my feeble attempts to summarise Boyd. Get the book. If you are angry at God, you need to read this book.

Thought provoking - perfect for a theology course I am doing

Very interesting book. Answers a lot of questions and really gets you thinking

This is the best, most profound, most plausible and most consistent explanation of suffering and bad things in this world, I've ever heard. Greg Boyd develops a consistent, bible/Jesus oriented theology explaining why bad things can happen in this world even though God is all loving and allmighty. The theory leaves (almost) no open questions and gives a good explanation to (almost) everthing. It changed my view on God and the world and deepend my relationship with Jesus in an incredible way.

I found this book super helpful in the discussion of suffering and evil - highly recommend!!