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The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith

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Why does God allow evil and suffering in the world? Why did God command Israel to kill all the Canaanites if he is a God of love and mercy? How does the cross of Jesus accomplish our atonement and what are the implications of it for us? What happens when the world ends, or does it end? In his new book, The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith (Zondervan, 2008), respected biblical scholar Christopher J. H. Wright engages these questions. I say engages because he does not answer them, at least not completely or to the satisfaction of every questioner and critic. He does not because he admits that he cannot. The Bible does not give conclusive answers to such questions, and Wright takes the Bible very seriously as the Word of God, noting what it says and does not say on these matters.

So let me say, at this point, that this is one of the most refreshing things about this book. This seasoned biblical scholar confesses that there are questions that he continues to wrestle with despite all his years of studying, reflecting on, and teaching the Bible. In fact, many times throughout the book he moves to citing Christian hymns or biblical praise texts. That is, his questions ultimately lead him to the mystery of God and, thus, to praise.

Although Wright admits that he cannot give definitive answers, he does help us explore the questions in a fruitful and faith-affirming way. He tackles these questions, as the subtitle of the book suggests, from the perspective of faith, not as one who is trying to believe, if only he can have all his questions answered. Thus, each question is addressed within the larger framework of the biblical text and Christian faith. For each question he discusses both what the Bible says and does not say on the matter. This leads him to dismiss some answers to questions as unbiblical and unhelpful, and it allows him to suggest ways of understanding the issues, even if not with the definitive answer.

The book is written on a popular level. At times he may assume more than would be common knowledge to a reader without theological education (e.g., using the word "eschatology" two pages before defining it), but those instances are rare. The book is engaging, with many personal anecdotes and humor. In some cases he may upset popular (but largely unbiblical) theological notions, particularly as he talks about the "end of the world." But he will challenge again and again.

With eleven chapters, plus the introduction and conclusion, this book could work well for use in Sunday School classes that are on a quarter system. However, I suspect that many teachers and students would want to stretch out the discussions beyond a single quarter, since each chapter is so rich and invites engagement.

I recommend this book to all who struggle with such questions.

In conversation with 20somethings and teens today, I have discovered that there is an aversion to simplistic "Sunday School" answers to the tough passages of Scripture. Dissatisfaction with easy answers is widespread among the younger generation. Whereas previous generations prized practicality over everything else, the up-and-coming generation is looking for depth in its quest for truth.

We do not want to devote our lives to the worship of a God made in our own image. Neither do we wish to confine God to a box. Let us do business with what the Bible teaches, no matter how complex or difficult or unpleasant the journey may be.

Christopher Wright's book, The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith is a welcome addition to a spate of recent books that demonstrate a willingness to tackle the hard questions raised by the Bible. The God I Don't Understand is an appropriate title. Wright does not exhaustively answer the difficult questions he poses, but he shares valuable reflections that display his pastoral insight and personal piety in seeking the truth.

The God I Don't Understand is for people who ask, "Why?"

Why did God judge the Canaanites the way he did in the Old Testament?

Why is there evil in the world?

Why do good people suffer?

Why do we have to believe this or that about the cross?

Why are there so many views about the end times?

Christopher Wright ponders these questions and then provides some insights that help clarify the issues:

"To me it is a profoundly moving thought that the word that introduces our most tormenting questions - `Why' - was uttered by Jesus on the very cross that was God's answer to the question that the whole creation poses." (21)

Wright understands the importance of putting ourselves in the shoes of those who read the Bible in its original, historical context. Therefore, when addressing the problem of evil, Wright says:

"Whereas we often ask `Why?', people in the Bible often asked `How long?'. Their tendency was not to demand that God give an explanation to the origin of evil but rather to plead with God to do something to bring about an end to evil." (27)

In addressing the mystery of evil and its origins, Wright insists on holding three truths together that he can see in the story of Joseph and in the story of the cross:

The utter evilness of evil.
The utter goodness of God.
The utter sovereignty of God.
Wright refuses to deny any of these truths or to pit one against another. He insists on holding them together, just as he sees the biblical authors doing.

The second part of the book focuses on the judgment of the Canaanites in the Old Testament. Did God really command Israel to commit genocide?

Wright does not minimize the issues at stake here. He points out some wrong solutions to the problem. Then he takes us back to the Old Testament in order that we might make sense of these accounts and what we can learn about God from them.

But Wright does not neatly resolve the issue. Perhaps that is why the book is entitled The God I Don't Understand. There are no easy resolutions, but Wright's pastoral insights help shine light on the issues at stake.

Part 3 focuses on the cross. Wright wants to be faithful to the biblical teaching about the cross of Christ. And yet, he also wants to embrace the mystery inherent in the cross. He fully recognizes that we will never exhaust the depths of the meaning of Calvary:

"I understand enough on the basis of what the Bible tells me to know that I owe everything I am now or ever will be to the love and grace of God supremely poured out at Calvary. But when I probe into why and how that is so, I join the multitudes who recognize depths and mysteries here that lie beyond our own understanding but not beyond our faith, praise and worship." (109)

Wright refuses to join the recent critics of the traditional understanding of substitutionary atonement. He holds tightly to penal substitution as one of the primary ways in which we should understand the cross of Jesus Christ.

But even here, Wright helpfully resists pitting the differrent atonement pictures against one another. He argues for a "both/and" approach, refusing to separate what he believes should be held together. Wright recognizes the tendency to make debates about the atonement too abstract:

"Part of the problem with so many theories of the atonement through the centuries is that they tried to explain the death of Christ in terms of other stories or world views where it does not really fit while ignoring the one story in which it is actually set - the Biblical story of God's dealings with Israel and of God's mission through Israel to bring blessing and salvation to the world." (145)

I believe that Wright is on target here. We should promote the biblical atonement theories, including penal substitution, but we should situate these theories within the historical setting of Jesus in the first century.

The last part of the book focuses on eschatology - the doctrine of the end times. Wright offers some illuminating insights into biblical eschatology. Yet, I did not find part 4 as relevant to the book's overall theme as the previous sections.

The God I Don't Understand is one of the best books I've read so far this year. I highly recommend that those who want to wrestle with these issues of faith consult Chris Wright's wise reflections.

Overall I enjoyed reading "The God I Don't Understand." It was thoughtful and readable. Part One was especially helpful. Wright is not satisfied with just giving usual answers. I especially appreciate his extensive use of the Old Testament. I can imagine that next time I teach this subject, I would incorporate some of his arguments into my teaching. If I'm allowed to make a critical comment, however, his reasoning behind the following comment in page 40 seems to be weak: "Nevertheless, we may discern the fingerprints of Satan in what is described in these poems [Isaiah 14:4-21 and Ezekiel 28:1-17], since it is clear that these arrogant human beings were brought low because of their blasphemous pride and boasting against God." Now, I don't deny a possibility that Satan was behind these two kings, but he never explains the connection between them. It sounds like a circular reasoning. I'd like to see a clearer explanation here.

Parts Two and Three were generally helpful.

I had a problem with Part Four. Trevin Wax, in his Amazon review, says, "Yet, I did not find part 4 as relevant to the book's overall theme as the previous sections." I tend to agree. Wright seems to think that the dispensational interpretation of end times is as dangerous to Christianity as the other three issues he has dealt with in this book. But is it true? I agree that there are some people who are too obsessed with end times prophecies to remember why those prophecies are there in the Bible. [Those prophecies are to encourage holy living among believers, if I mention just one of the purposes.] But most dispensationalists do not belong to that category. Wright, in his eagerness to criticize the whole movement, does not distinguish serious dispensational scholarship from garbage. This is very unfortunate.

Wright also seems to think that the motivation behind all the publication on end times by dispensationalists is just to be scandalous [and sell books?]. He names the "Left Behind" series as "the most prominent example" [page 165]. But he fails to recognize that the main reason Tim LaHaye created that series was to draw people to Christ. [If you look for Tim LaHaye's comments on the series, you should easily be able to find a statement along that line.] Now, that wouldn't make his interpretation right [and I don't endorse all his interpretations and some parts of the series are not well-written], but at least his initial motivation was not to be scandalous.

As for his particular objections against dispensationalism, most of them are old ones. So I will briefly mention only one here. One of Wright's criticisms about dispensationalism is that it is "relatively recent" [page 165]. But how old must an interpretation be in order to be right? Does that mean that all the interpretations of the church fathers are correct? Or, should all the Christians in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries have rejected Calvinism because that interpretation was "relatively recent"? That would be absurd! One should judge the rightness of a particular interpretation not just based upon how old or new that interpretation is.

Wright seems to be unfamiliar even with typical dispensationalist responses to his objections. I wish a respected scholar like Wright would have done more careful research [he may have done it, but I cannot detect its evidence] and been more generous with fellow believers who happen to have a view different from his.

To be honest, I was not sure from the title and cover what this book was about, but when I started reading I was pleased to find it both well-written and addressing an unusual collection of topics. Wright has tackled not just difficult-to-understand things about God such as the problem of evil or of the conquest under Joshua but also wonderfully ineffable things like redemption by the cross of Christ as well as the downright obscure difficulties of eschatology.

Wright has written with good scholarship, but in an open, approachable style with which lay readers can also engage. As he addresses each of his four topics, he begins by clarifying what we can and cannot know from scripture. Where some of the mystery can be resolved, Wright resolves it on scriptural grounds, and where we are still left to wonder, he honestly admits it with refreshing candor.

The hard-back copy that I have has been reasonably well bound and typeset. The paper is not the highest quality, but it is sturdy and does not show through and is just the right weight for the number of pages. The font is, moreover, pleasingly readable and comfortable to my eyes. End notes are located at the end of each chapter, which (though I personally prefer footnotes) does un-clutter the pages and gives a cleaner look.

In all, I recommend this book both as a well-written, honest assessment of what we can and cannot know about our complex but good God.

Anything I have read from Christopher J. H. Wright has been well worth the investment of time and effort. His book, the GOD i Don't Understand, is surely no exception. Written in a gracious, personal, and often pastoral tone, the book seeks to advance our knowledge of God as revealed in Scripture and encountered in the experiences of life.

Wright does not minimize difficult questions nor does he offer patronizing answers that ultimately help no one. His approach helpfully treats the whole Bible as Scripture and seeks to respectfully work through difficult subjects of suffering, loss, evil, and justice. You sense (accurately) an authentic person who has seen first hand many of the harsh realities of life. In so doing, he is anything but pessimistic. He is absolutely hopeful because of the work of Christ as our substitute on the cross.

While I am not convinced of aspects of his amillennial eschatological thinking, I found his vision for the future to be deeply refreshing. Many of his ideas echo concepts I had read in premillennialist writers: Theodore Zahn, Henry Alford, and Allan MacRae. Wright fittingly counsels readers to search the Scriptures for validation (170).

This is a book you should read and reflect on for your own thinking and for the enrichment of those you have the opportunity to serve. CTM

Christopher Wright's The God I Don't Understand undertakes the daunting task of addressing four difficult theological topics: the problem of evil, the violent accounts of the Canaanite conquest, the meaning of the cross and the end of the world. The humility suggested by his title is not only appropriate given the complexity of the topics, but also characterizes the book as a whole. In the end, he acknowledges that more questions emerge from the process than answers (217), but this conclusion is welcome as any attempt to confidently "solve" these problems will surely fail. While Wright may not fully understand God, he can still illuminate many profound aspects of God for his readers and his impressive knowledge of God's word comes through clearly in his prose. I particularly appreciated his discussion of evil (25-72). He first suggests that one needs to accept the mystery of evil (29) because ultimately evil does not make sense (41). He then wisely advises those who are encountering evil to follow the biblical model of lament (50-55). On the topic of lament, I would have hoped that Wright would have engaged with Walter Brueggemann, the Old Testament theologian who, by lamenting the loss of lament, brought this under-appreciated biblical genre into wider play. He concludes his discussion of evil by declaring that God will finally defeat evil with the cross, revealing his utter goodness and utter sovereignty in the process. His reflections on these questions are timely as are his discussions of recent books from an atheist perspective, including works by Philip Pullman (214-215) and Richard Dawkins (73). Wright's language seems to assume a Christian audience ("That is why Paul urges us to...") or a readership familiar with the Bible ("What about the Canaanites?"), but I would think that a book of this nature could appeal more broadly to agnostics, atheists or practitioners of other religions. Overall, the book is accessible and enjoyable to read, and therefore a worthwhile investment both in money and time.

After several profound encounters with individuals behaving in ways that can only be called evil, I heard Christopher Wright talk about his new book, The God I don't understand: reflections of tough questions of faith. A tremendous feeling of relief came over me as I listened to him and again later as I read his book.

Wright has an answer for me! He carefully explains that the Bible tells us how to respond to evil. We are to "accept that there is a mysteriousness about evil that we simply cannot understand (and it is good that we cannot)" and explains that "the Bible allows us to lament, protest, and be angry at the offensiveness of evil (and it is right that we should)".

A few weeks later I was able to apply his teaching. I was confronted again with the question of what to do about evil. With confidence and forcefulness, I was able to answer someone who wanted to understand evil. "You do not try to understand evil! You reject it!"

I highly recommend the book for Wright's discussion of evil and suffering. The other topics covered in the book are equally helpful.

This book is exactly as it is subtitled: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith. If you are looking for a detailed theodicy then you will not find it here. If you are looking for a manual on engaging in apologetics concerning the problem of evil this book might be helpful but it is not the author's main purpose. Wright tackles four very difficult subjects: the problem of evil, the Canaanites, the cross, and the end of the world. Wright's purpose is not to put a period on these discussions but to steer them in a proper direction; even if that means at the end of the day we are left shrugging our shoulders.

This book is honest and transparent. When he is confident about something our author shares it as truth. When he is unsure about something he is refreshingly honest. If every believer engaged in these questions with this type of attitude I am convinced we would go a long way in accurately representing the greatness of God.

The only thing I dislike about this book is I am uncertain of where to put it on my bookshelf. Have you ever had a really pretty picture or beautiful piece of furniture but it has to sit in your closet because you cannot find a place that it rightly fits? This book is like that. It is packaged for the average consumer but deals with issues birthed in academia. It would easily fit in my library next to all of the books dealing with the cross. But then again it would also fit in an eschatology section...or perhaps it would fit in my Old Testament section...maybe it will go in my apologetics section.

So, should you buy it? That depends. To use a baseball metaphor: are you looking for a solid multi-position player that excels in nothing but is dependable in many or are you looking for a single position guy that knocks the ball out of the park but can't hit for average? If you need a utility infielder then this book is for you. The truth is I think all of us need to read this book, because it outlines for us how to engage in tough questions of faith. Don't read this book to answer your questions; rather, read this book to learn how to effectively ask them.

Christopher Wright's The God I Don't Understand is the apologetic work of a mature theologian and biblical scholar. The subtitle is quite telling: "Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith." Wright is not afraid to acknowledge the toughness of the questions raised (Why does evil exist? Isn't the slaughter of the Canaanites genocide? What about the end times?). And he does not claim to provide bullet-proof answers for those who struggle. He rather reflects on the questions from a mature Christian perspective. When faced with a God that he doesn't understand, Wright affirms that "faith seeks understanding, and faith builds on understanding where it is granted, but faith does not finally depend on understanding" (22).

Wright's approach throughout is one characterized by humility. This is not one of those in-house apologetic works that sets up worldly straw-men and then bashes them down in mocking tones. As Wright himself states, "The danger, as in so many disputes like this, is that people paint a caricature and then attack that" (129). While Wright is not afraid to disagree with atheists or fellow Christians, his critiques of contemporary scholars and their ideas are sympathetic. He will first praise the helpful insights of someone like Philip Pullman; only then will Wright explain the important differences between Pullman's worldview and the Christian perspective.

Thus, it becomes clear that Wright's primary goal is to help his reader better understand God, not to show off his own brilliance. This is not one of those books that claims to have THE answers to all of life's persistent questions. Instead, Wright offers his readers a treasury of resources, including a judicious selection of quotations from other authors. When Wright feels like John Stott or Henri Blocher or Nicholas Wolterstorff or that other Wright (N.T.) has the right words, he unabashedly quotes them at length!

To anyone looking for an evangelical, intellectual, biblical, faith-filled, and even-handed series of reflections on some tough theological questions, I would highly recommend this book.

Who hasn't questioned God's order for the Israelites to destroy every man woman and child among the Canaanites? Even those of us committed to a Biblical faith scratch our heads trying to understand exactly how the execution of Jesus by the Romans 2000 years ago can remove my guilt for snapping at my husband yesterday. And what about all those confusing theories about end times? Preacher and scholar Christopher Wright is committed to the authority of Scripture, but open about his own struggles as he deals with these difficult questions in this readable and accessible book. Some of his conclusions may surprise you. The section on end times sent me straight to my favorite Narnian Chronicle to relive the joy of C.S. Lewis' interpretation of the end of the world.