Present Evil, Active God

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What to expect

Can we truly believe God is active and good amidst such rampant evil? Are there satisfying answers as to why our creator has allowed so much evil to flourish?

We tend to believe either God must not be loving or must not be actively involved. Yet throughout history, believers and nonbelievers alike have pressed forward to respond to this great challenge at the core of all life. From Lenin, to Mao and Hitler, to Tolstoy, Gandhi, and MLK Jr., adjunct professor of biblical studies Jered Gritters details how some of the worst evil has not prevented the greatest solution the world has ever seen from having its impact.

Applying the Sermon on the Mount, an all-important “relational approach” demonstrates how anyone can help to solve the problem of evil in any time or place. With empirical evidence backed up by history and a biblical foundation, the existence of evil is shown not to be the unsolvable conundrum many tend to think it is. Solidly researched and carefully translated, Gritters collects the historical theology and philosophy to demonstrate how God is actively pursuing a solution to evil and inviting us to participate with him in it.

Exploring why God allowed evil in the first place, Present Evil, Active God brings fuller context and needed synthesis to what God has always been doing—deeply engaging in bringing about his intended solution to our inescapable struggle with evil. In the end, those with eyes to see will recognize with new clarity the masterful plan designed to satisfy our existential crisis once and for all.

Critics Review

  • “Have you ever argued with yourself, another person, or even God himself about why evil exists and how destructive and painful it is? If you have, are you confused and frustrated about the veil Christian culture often imposes on open discussions about evil? Jered Gritters pulls back this veil and openly, honestly, and critically dialogues the issue, offering pastoral encouragement, Biblical and theological reasoning, and personal faith stories to help us contextualize evil in our world. He exhorts us to defeat the problem of evil in our personal faith journey by seeing Jesus Christ and God’s purposes in the midst of evil.”

    Mike Robinson, president of Pacific Bible College
  • “Jered Gritters asks the right questions and sees through the pat answers. His relational response to the problem of evil aims to remind readers of the love central to Christian faith. This book is for those wanting an adventure in new thinking!”

    Thomas Jay Oord, author of God Can't: How to Believe in God and Love after Tragedy, Abuse, and Other Evils
  • “Jered Gritters has given us a pastorally sensitive, gospel-centered, and theologically clear treatment of the problem of evil in our world. Using contemporary historical context in conjunction with classical theological insight, this author admirably applies Christian wisdom to this age-old and deeply painful subject.”

    Rick Booye, DMin, chairman, Biblical Studies Department, Pacific Bible College, Medford, Oregon, and senior pastor, Trail Christian Fellowship, Eagle Point, Oregon

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