Demystifying Evil: A Biblical and Personal Exploration

by Ingrid Faro

The evil that afflicts our lives often leaves us confused and directionless, wounded and powerless. How should we respond to evil's power to assault us? How can we understand God's work in a world that seems all too often to be permeated with evil?

Narrating her own wrestling with evil as well as engaging in biblical and philosophical analysis, biblical scholar Ingrid Faro explores the many dimensions to evil. Soberly honest, biblically engaged, and theologically nuanced, Demystifying Evil examines the power of evil to disrupt and fragment our lives and tempt us to collude with it.

But evil does not have the last word. Faro takes us on a journey into the book of Genesis, the Ancient Near East culture, the cross, and her own story of suffering to engage the undoing of evil.

Genres: Christian

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2023

Reviews

[Ethan Clouser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading Ingird’s newest book for a conservation we will be having on my podcast, “Theology Re-Examined”.

I have tons of praise for this book, and the stories that Ingrid shares are gripping. I found myself with my jaw to the floor on many occasions, and appreciated her vulnerability more than anything.

Theologically, it’s spot on. I love the way she breaks down evil from both an exegetical and personally perspective, bringing more clarity to such a taboo topic.

Thankful for Ingrid and her work.

[Dra Wiersema · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to categorize. I thought it was going to be more of a theological philosophical explanation of evil, which it was, but it is also a book that would help somebody understand evil in their own lives or through the lives of others. The writer is very educated and has done extensive research, but you'll also find her talking about many supernatural experiences. For all these reasons this is why I found it hard to categorize this book. It is a good read, but the reader needs to know it's going to cross many areas of interest.

[Noah Filipiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hats of to Dr. Ingrid Faro for tackling such difficult theological questions. She pulls no punches and doesn't dodge any of the hard questions. I love the rigorous theology of this book–this is clearly a scholar who knows the text inside and out. But I also love that it's not just an academic or theological brain-filler, trying to answer tough questions for the sake of theory in an ivory tower. This is as practical and gritty as it gets. By the end of the book, you're really reading a spiritual formation book, but along the way you've picked up tremendous insight into deep theology + the mysterious spiritual realm that is all around us.

[Daniel Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book at exploring the ideas of evil and how it impacts your personal life. I'd recommend reading this with N.T. Wrights Evil and the Justice of God as they will complement each other. but more than just understanding what evil is, Dr. Faro shows how Jesus overcomes evil and empowers us to overcome it as well.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: A biblical study of the evil and God’s work in the world illustrated by the author’s own wrestling with evil.

Ingrid Faro tells us at the outset: “The purpose of this book is to demystify evil by taking it out of its dark corners, finding out where it comes from, asking why, and exploring how it operates to disrupt and disable our lives.” Faro does this both through extensive discussion of relevant scripture, but also through personal narratives in each chapter related to the chapter material.

Perhaps the most striking thing about the book is how bluntly, and at points, terrifyingly honest she is in these narratives, justifying the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book. The most memorable example is her description of the evil spirit that inhabited her late husband from his time in Vietnam. “Sergeant Rock” offered him protection as he learned to be a trained assassin, sometimes participating in horrific realities. After his conversion, he recognized Sergeant Rock as a demon, and gained a measure of freedom although the demon sought, and sometimes gained control telling Ingrid Faro, “You’re not welcome here! Get out!” to which she replied, “No! You’re not welcome here! You get out now!” and it did.

The book is organized in five parts. The first, on “wrestling with evil” distinguishes evil, suffering, and pain and discusses the ambiguity of evil–the different things evil can mean to different people. She then focuses on a biblical definition of evil as “the corruption of good, with an emphasis on God’s creational goodness.” Part two begins with natural causes, noting the action-consequence character of reality–“You reap what you sow” This last idea has in it the concept of seed–so much in life emerges from seed–plants, animals, and humans. But also words that produce actions and bear consequences, for good in God’s creation, and ill, when evil enters in at the fall. She turns to nature, whose processes may be both good and evil in their impact on humans but may also be shaped for good and harm by human beings.

Part three considers human causes of evil. Faro begins with human need and desire, made for good by God but capable of working for ill to us and others when inordinately pursued. Then she focuses on self-sufficiency as the root of both our pride and insecurity. She addresses our human responsibility and authority as beings in God’s image. Our call is to reflect God’s character and guard his garden, his temple. When asked why God allows so much evil, her reply is, why do humans in God’s image allow so much evil? She then looks at our role to restore the world under the redemptive work of God in Christ.

Part four challenges the illusions people have about the personal spiritual forces for good and evil in the world–Satan, demons, angels, and other spiritual beings. Another reality little considered is what she calls the divine council and the rules of engagement and the cosmic involvement in human systems. Perhaps Neil Gaiman in American Gods wasn’t entirely out to lunch!

Finally, Part five develops God’s response to evil. Faro begins with the power of mercy and grace and how this triumphs over evil and its judgment ultimately in the cross. She builds on this to explore forgiveness, including sharing a tremendous forgiveness story. Finally, Faro discusses the idea of the beauty that comes from ashes when the followers of Jesus follow the one who absorbed the consequences of the evil we have done and the evil done to us, freeing us to live as his royal family, one that repays evil with good and so heals the fabric of the world.

For all the sobering material and stories about evil, Faro shows us the power of God that overcomes through grace and mercy and the agency we have as God’s redeemed creatures, in resisting evil and evil forces as we guard God’s garden. We are not hapless victims. Even aside from her stories, this is no mere intellectual treatise on evil but actually a field manual for spiritual warfare. Faro shows us how to live both as those liberated from evil and empowered to resist it with gospel authority. What our enemy would shroud in darkness is brought to light. What our enemy would obscure of the works of God are uncovered. This is a book that will teach us to “fear no evil.”

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

[Vincent Gaddis · Rating 2 out of 5]

a powerful, personal and excellently researched theological exploration of evil.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Ingrid Faro reflects upon and wrestles with the natural, human, and unseen causes of evil. With clarity and courage, she casts a vision of the glory of the human vocation, illuminates what is at stake when it is squandered and corrupted, and points her readers to the power of God's grace. Her biblical exegesis, pastoral wisdom, and personal insights are helpful contributions to a complex conversation.

[Suzy G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lingers with me almost a year after having read it. Faro's use of story telling woven into her analysis on the theology of evil is insightful and captivating.