When Bad Things Happen to Good People
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 When Bad Things Happen to Good People |
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| Author | Harold Kushner |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | theism God |
| Genre(s) | non-fiction religion |
| Publisher | |
| Released | 1981 |
| Pages | 176 |
| ISBN | ISBN 1-4000-3472-8 |
When Bad Things Happen to Good People is a 1981 book by Harold Kushner, a Conservative rabbi. Kushner addresses in the book one of the principal problems of theism, the conundrum of why, if the universe was created and is governed by a God who is of a good and loving nature, there is nonetheless so much suffering and pain in it — essentially, the problem of evil.
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
In Kushner's introduction, he states that his motivation was learning that his son had been diagnosed with progeria, a disease which causes rapid premature aging and early death, usually at about the age that developmentally normal children are going through puberty. Kushner states that he originally had intended to use as the book's epigraph a portion of the Biblical verse 2 Samuel 18:33 "O Absolom, my son, my son Absolom! would God I had died for thee, O Absolom, my son, my son!", but that upon further review and reflection, he felt that 2 Samuel 12:23 was more appropriate, "But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."
[edit] Thesis
Kushner's answer seems to be essentially that God has arranged the universe in such a way that even he cannot solve all of its dilemmas, but that he also, due to his caring nature, suffers along with his creatures. This seems to question God's omnipotence and was hence questioned by some conservative theologians, particularly those associated with Orthodox Judaism but also evangelical Christianity. The books sales seem to have been unaffected; it was a New York Times bestseller for many months in the "nonfiction" category.
[edit] Recognition
- New York Times bestseller, "nonfiction"
