Suffering and the Search for Meaning
One of the most difficult topics for any person is that of suffering. Why do people suffer? And how do you fit belief in God into this question? People have been asking this question from the very beginning.
While there have been many books on this subject, one of the best that I have read is Richard Rice’s Suffering and the Search for Meaning. Rice is professor of religion at Loma Linda University.
Most authors aim to provide a comprehensive explanation for the problem of suffering. Rice takes a different path by presenting all of the major theories of theodicy.
The first is the perfect plan theodicy. This is the belief that God plans every detail, including the most grievous suffering, and that everything happens exactly as God plans.
The second is the free will theodicy. This assumes that God gives humanity free will. If people are able to choose good things, they must also be able to choose to do evil.
The third is soul making theodicy. This argues that God uses our suffering to strengthen us spiritually and emotionally.
The fourth is the cosmic conflict theodicy. This teaches that suffering is the result of the spiritual battle between God and Satan.
The fifth is the openness of God theodicy. This theodicy and the theology that it is based on teaches that God does not have complete knowledge of the future and that the future is open based on the choices of people.
The sixth is the finite God theodicy. This one, made famous by Harold Kushner, states that God is all-loving but he is not all-powerful. He would like to help but he is just not able.
Finally there is the protest theodicy. In many ways it is not a theodicy. It is the angry response of people who understand the depth of suffering. For some, this leads to atheism.
Rice does a great job of explaining each theodicy without promoting one over the other. He presents the strengths and weaknesses of each theodicy. In the final chapter, Rice pulls it all together by drawing different pieces to explain his own response.
Suffering and the Search for Meaning is a great place to begin in reflecting on suffering. Instead of imposing one theory, the author provides the major theories. The reader will likely find themselves drawn to more than one theodicy. I highly recommend this book.
