What do you think?
Rate this book
When There Are No Easy Answers: Thinking Differently about God, Suffering, and Evil
How can a God of love allow terrible things to happen in our lives?Christians often assume they're equipped to deal with tragedy if it enters their lives, but like most people, think it never really will. What happens, then, when we follow God's will to the best of our abilities and heartbreak strikes? Do we mean it when we implore "Have Thine own way, Lord" or does that only apply in times of blessings or small, manageable hurts?
John Feinberg knows that conundrum intimately. In 1987 his beloved wife was diagnosed with an incurable, genetically transmitted disease. They were immediately challenged in their faith and their approach to God's goodness in the face of the evil of suffering. More, they discovered just how little their Christian community understood about how to support people in crisis.
When There Are No Easy Answers considers the problem of grief from every angle, just as the Feinbergs walked through it in their journey. It confronts the question of justice, examines the nature of God, and argues for the reality of grace. Feinberg explores the biblical reasons against the use of traditional clichés and platitudes, especially by those in ministry, and lays out alternatives that can actually comfort and encourage the person who is struggling or grieving.
John Feinberg knows that conundrum intimately. In 1987 his beloved wife was diagnosed with an incurable, genetically transmitted disease. They were immediately challenged in their faith and their approach to God's goodness in the face of the evil of suffering. More, they discovered just how little their Christian community understood about how to support people in crisis.
When There Are No Easy Answers considers the problem of grief from every angle, just as the Feinbergs walked through it in their journey. It confronts the question of justice, examines the nature of God, and argues for the reality of grace. Feinberg explores the biblical reasons against the use of traditional clichés and platitudes, especially by those in ministry, and lays out alternatives that can actually comfort and encourage the person who is struggling or grieving.
154 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2016
16 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
John S. Feinberg
28 books17 followersJohn S. Feinberg (PhD, University of Chicago) is department chair and professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of Ethics for a Brave New World (with Paul D. Feinberg) and is general editor of Crossway’s Foundations of Evangelical Theology series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 25, 2016
Grief is a difficult subject to read about and an even more subject to experience. I have read many books that cover this topic, but none covers the experience as well as “When There are No Easy Answers” by John S. Feinberg.
People never know what to say to their friends or family members when a tragic illness or death occurs. In this book, the author covers the usual comments that are not helpful, and why they are not helpful. Often scripture is quoted, but misused. Next, he shared how he moved forward and learned to cope with the challenges ahead of him. He even tackled the subject of the suffering Christian in the chapter “Grace, Justice, and the Suffering of the Righteous”. The book ends with ten ways the God uses suffering.
This is a deeply personal book in which the author shares his personal thoughts and experiences in an effort to help others. In my opinion, that reaching out to his readers is what makes this book different from others I have read. His experience was with the devastating diagnosis of his wife, but the lessons learned are applicable to all types of grief.
I wish that the lessons and type of compassion in this book were taught in churches and Sunday schools. I highly recommend this book for those suffering tragedies of their own, but also for those who want to react to those around them in a positive, helpful way.
I received a copy of When There Are No Answers by John S. Feinberg from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review.
People never know what to say to their friends or family members when a tragic illness or death occurs. In this book, the author covers the usual comments that are not helpful, and why they are not helpful. Often scripture is quoted, but misused. Next, he shared how he moved forward and learned to cope with the challenges ahead of him. He even tackled the subject of the suffering Christian in the chapter “Grace, Justice, and the Suffering of the Righteous”. The book ends with ten ways the God uses suffering.
This is a deeply personal book in which the author shares his personal thoughts and experiences in an effort to help others. In my opinion, that reaching out to his readers is what makes this book different from others I have read. His experience was with the devastating diagnosis of his wife, but the lessons learned are applicable to all types of grief.
I wish that the lessons and type of compassion in this book were taught in churches and Sunday schools. I highly recommend this book for those suffering tragedies of their own, but also for those who want to react to those around them in a positive, helpful way.
I received a copy of When There Are No Answers by John S. Feinberg from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2016
I really felt comfortable with this book since John and I share the same dctrine background. The author write in an engaging manner as he tries to trust God knowing He is all wise. Every christian's will have why's when face with great suffering wither in your own life or others. John shares hos his wife's incurable illness shook his life and the lessons God used.
Are you equipped to deal with tragedies just because you are a Christian? Is it wrong to question God? Follow the author as he shares is insight. Even if you are not in the middle of a suffering this book can be useful to help one know what not to say and to say to another grieving person.
I felt very blessed to read this book on suffering and triumph in Christ alone.
I highly recommend this book for those who are going through suffering, have experienced it in the past and who know others who are . It will help you understand why they are acting in ways they are.
This book was provided free of charge by Kregel Book Tours in exchange for an honest review
Are you equipped to deal with tragedies just because you are a Christian? Is it wrong to question God? Follow the author as he shares is insight. Even if you are not in the middle of a suffering this book can be useful to help one know what not to say and to say to another grieving person.
I felt very blessed to read this book on suffering and triumph in Christ alone.
I highly recommend this book for those who are going through suffering, have experienced it in the past and who know others who are . It will help you understand why they are acting in ways they are.
This book was provided free of charge by Kregel Book Tours in exchange for an honest review
June 4, 2016
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Kregel Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.]
As someone who for personal reasons has long had an abiding interest in the “problem of suffering” that theologians and philosophers argue over [1], I found this book to be refreshing, even if it is written by a self-professed Calvinist [2]. All joking aside, this is an example of a book that is written about the problem of pain from an unassailable perspective, namely the point of view of someone who has gone through it. In that, it is far closer to C.S. Lewis’ “A Grief Observed” than to his more detached “The Problem Of Pain,” although it is written by a scholar who manages to smooth out much of the rawness from the account while still providing enough emotional resonance to make it unmistakably clear that the author does not speak from the heights of intellectual inquiry into the question of pain, about which the author refers to another book of his, but rather to the personal problem of how it is felt and how others help or harm those who are in suffering, and as there is a lot of suffering in this fallen world, this is an excellent and thoughtful short book about the subject that is full of candor.
The contents of the book are clearly and thoughtfully organized, and there are a lot of surprising touches that the book offers that make it even better. After a preface where the author introduces his approach to the problem of suffering, the author discusses a prelude to a problem, pointing at his own search for a healthy wife and partner in his ministry work, before discussing the dismal way life feels when one is in the midst of a problem—where the author speaks of his wife’s discovery of a diagnosis of Huntington’s disease, one of the most feared genetic disorders because of its incurable nature and the fact that it is a single-dominant gene disorder. The author discusses the helpfulness and lack of helpfulness of friends, with thoughtful comparison to the notorious friends of Job, and spends several chapters discussing how he wrestled with questions about the goodness of God, the way that God hides the future from us, the relationship between grace and justice with the suffering of the (relatively) righteous, as well as the question as to whether he had been deceived by God by marrying a supposedly healthy woman whose genes carried a ticking time bomb within them. The book closes with discussions of how one lives with dying, deals with questions of purpose and divine providence, and also contains a short but moving afterward by the author’s wife from an earlier edition of the book when she was still able to write, along with an appendix that discusses ten possible uses of affliction that may apply in particular cases.
This book, like many books from Kregel Press [3], fills a very valuable niche within Christian publishing in providing a short (about 150 pages including its appendix), moving, and thoughtful book about a problem that many people deal with. The author examines why clichés often fail to work, why some verses (like Romans 8:28) often do not comfort those who are in anguish and who doubt God’s love for them, and points out that ultimately much of the meaning of a trial is only clear at the end, not in the messy middle of the problem. The author steadfastly and resolutely refuses to consider trials a good thing, pointing out how the Bible never refers to trials as good in themselves, even if what comes from them is good. Even though the book is a personal discussion of the problem of suffering, it manages to provide an implicit case for the goodness of God by refusing to concede that God views suffering as a good thing in itself, while also pointing out that the goodness of God does not always appear to be good by those who are in the midst of suffering, including even those of us who, intellectually at least, know better. By providing a compassionate but biblically sound view of the problem of pain from an emotional and relational perspective, this book deserves to be read, and will hopefully provide a great deal of comfort and encouragement to those who suffer who have an intellectual understanding of the problem of pain and who have felt the disconnect between what the mind knows and how the heart feels in the midst of great and sore trials.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[2] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[3] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
As someone who for personal reasons has long had an abiding interest in the “problem of suffering” that theologians and philosophers argue over [1], I found this book to be refreshing, even if it is written by a self-professed Calvinist [2]. All joking aside, this is an example of a book that is written about the problem of pain from an unassailable perspective, namely the point of view of someone who has gone through it. In that, it is far closer to C.S. Lewis’ “A Grief Observed” than to his more detached “The Problem Of Pain,” although it is written by a scholar who manages to smooth out much of the rawness from the account while still providing enough emotional resonance to make it unmistakably clear that the author does not speak from the heights of intellectual inquiry into the question of pain, about which the author refers to another book of his, but rather to the personal problem of how it is felt and how others help or harm those who are in suffering, and as there is a lot of suffering in this fallen world, this is an excellent and thoughtful short book about the subject that is full of candor.
The contents of the book are clearly and thoughtfully organized, and there are a lot of surprising touches that the book offers that make it even better. After a preface where the author introduces his approach to the problem of suffering, the author discusses a prelude to a problem, pointing at his own search for a healthy wife and partner in his ministry work, before discussing the dismal way life feels when one is in the midst of a problem—where the author speaks of his wife’s discovery of a diagnosis of Huntington’s disease, one of the most feared genetic disorders because of its incurable nature and the fact that it is a single-dominant gene disorder. The author discusses the helpfulness and lack of helpfulness of friends, with thoughtful comparison to the notorious friends of Job, and spends several chapters discussing how he wrestled with questions about the goodness of God, the way that God hides the future from us, the relationship between grace and justice with the suffering of the (relatively) righteous, as well as the question as to whether he had been deceived by God by marrying a supposedly healthy woman whose genes carried a ticking time bomb within them. The book closes with discussions of how one lives with dying, deals with questions of purpose and divine providence, and also contains a short but moving afterward by the author’s wife from an earlier edition of the book when she was still able to write, along with an appendix that discusses ten possible uses of affliction that may apply in particular cases.
This book, like many books from Kregel Press [3], fills a very valuable niche within Christian publishing in providing a short (about 150 pages including its appendix), moving, and thoughtful book about a problem that many people deal with. The author examines why clichés often fail to work, why some verses (like Romans 8:28) often do not comfort those who are in anguish and who doubt God’s love for them, and points out that ultimately much of the meaning of a trial is only clear at the end, not in the messy middle of the problem. The author steadfastly and resolutely refuses to consider trials a good thing, pointing out how the Bible never refers to trials as good in themselves, even if what comes from them is good. Even though the book is a personal discussion of the problem of suffering, it manages to provide an implicit case for the goodness of God by refusing to concede that God views suffering as a good thing in itself, while also pointing out that the goodness of God does not always appear to be good by those who are in the midst of suffering, including even those of us who, intellectually at least, know better. By providing a compassionate but biblically sound view of the problem of pain from an emotional and relational perspective, this book deserves to be read, and will hopefully provide a great deal of comfort and encouragement to those who suffer who have an intellectual understanding of the problem of pain and who have felt the disconnect between what the mind knows and how the heart feels in the midst of great and sore trials.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[2] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[3] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
June 16, 2021
MUST READ!
I have taught for 40 years how important it is to form theology before the trials of life come, not in the middle of them. Dr. Feinberg shows that as important as that fact is, effective ministry to the suffering requires more and especially for those who have not been blessed with much theology before tragedy struck.
I have taught for 40 years how important it is to form theology before the trials of life come, not in the middle of them. Dr. Feinberg shows that as important as that fact is, effective ministry to the suffering requires more and especially for those who have not been blessed with much theology before tragedy struck.
July 23, 2016
I read this 160 page book primarily in one sitting. The author explains in his preface that the book is his story of embracing suffering, thinking about evil, and God. He is a theological professor at Trinity University, so his lay person's approach to his story was rich with doctrine and scriptural support, but he makes it very readable, and easy to comprehend. Some of his big struggles were just that, his personal spots that his mind might get stuck on like: why they didn't discover that his wife had the gene when they investigated it, and what about the future. But his answers to his questions delved into his specific needs, but also embraced many wonders and levels that anyone could have with any type of suffering present in their lives. So I appreciated his style and the richness of the teaching that was layered into his testimony.
This updated version is what as an educator we refer to as meta-cognition, Mr. Feinberg thinks aloud on the pages of this book and in his updates, about his wonders, concerns, struggles, with God in the midst of a genetic terminal disease that his wife was diagnosed with when they had three young boys, active full time ministry together, and a whole different plan and expectation for their lives. His book is also helpful with ideas of what people would say to him that helped, and what hurt or wasn't helpful. He also teaches you what kinds of help and offers really help individuals and families who are living with long term suffering and need in their family. He delves into real concerns in each chapter like: how dismal life can seem, Recipe for Disaster, or How Not to Help the Afflicted, the Goodness of God, Hiding the Future, and Grace, Justice, and the Suffering of the Righteous, Deceived by God?, Living with Dying, and Providence and the Purpose of Our Lives.
Each topic is handled with his testimony and his view on the lens of the Word of God and then how that looks in life, changes his thinking, or helps him cope and live with ongoing suffering, as well as recognizing God's plan for evil as it appears in the lives of believers. I think his appendix at the back with biblical reasons that God might use when a person or family is afflicted with suffering was a highlight of the book for me.
This book would benefit someone who is living with ongoing suffering in any form. In my case I interact with many adoptive and foster families who are parenting children from hard places and by embracing and loving the kids, their home often faces evil and suffering on a daily basis. But it would also benefit a family who is living with a terminal illness, a disease that includes chronic suffering, but isn't terminal, grieving individuals, and those who interact with anyone who suffers. So I see it as a great resource for church leaders and in ministry, as well as tender-hearted individuals who want to grasp how God works in a sinful world.
I enjoyed this book, and the thoughts are my personal opinion. I was blessed to receive this book for free as a part of Kregel Blog Tours, but it is expected I give it an honest review and that is what I'm sharing here. My thoughts.
This updated version is what as an educator we refer to as meta-cognition, Mr. Feinberg thinks aloud on the pages of this book and in his updates, about his wonders, concerns, struggles, with God in the midst of a genetic terminal disease that his wife was diagnosed with when they had three young boys, active full time ministry together, and a whole different plan and expectation for their lives. His book is also helpful with ideas of what people would say to him that helped, and what hurt or wasn't helpful. He also teaches you what kinds of help and offers really help individuals and families who are living with long term suffering and need in their family. He delves into real concerns in each chapter like: how dismal life can seem, Recipe for Disaster, or How Not to Help the Afflicted, the Goodness of God, Hiding the Future, and Grace, Justice, and the Suffering of the Righteous, Deceived by God?, Living with Dying, and Providence and the Purpose of Our Lives.
Each topic is handled with his testimony and his view on the lens of the Word of God and then how that looks in life, changes his thinking, or helps him cope and live with ongoing suffering, as well as recognizing God's plan for evil as it appears in the lives of believers. I think his appendix at the back with biblical reasons that God might use when a person or family is afflicted with suffering was a highlight of the book for me.
This book would benefit someone who is living with ongoing suffering in any form. In my case I interact with many adoptive and foster families who are parenting children from hard places and by embracing and loving the kids, their home often faces evil and suffering on a daily basis. But it would also benefit a family who is living with a terminal illness, a disease that includes chronic suffering, but isn't terminal, grieving individuals, and those who interact with anyone who suffers. So I see it as a great resource for church leaders and in ministry, as well as tender-hearted individuals who want to grasp how God works in a sinful world.
I enjoyed this book, and the thoughts are my personal opinion. I was blessed to receive this book for free as a part of Kregel Blog Tours, but it is expected I give it an honest review and that is what I'm sharing here. My thoughts.
July 28, 2016
This book is a voice for anyone who is suffering. It informs the body of Christ how to provide supportive care, comfort, and encouragement to those who are hurting. In other words, this is a job for the church. When There Are No Easy Answers tells us how to do it, showing us clearly how to relate to people who are suffering.
This author understands, because he is living this alongside his wife. Not only did I learn how to serve others betters by reading his book, but I discovered what I now need for spiritual comfort in my own situation of chronic illness. I hadn’t recognized some of my own needs yet, for I’ve only been sick for three years. His wife has suffered for decades.
Seeking and comprehending the Biblical answers to the problem of pain and evil in the world is an undergirding that is essential to every Christian, for we all will suffer. We should know what God says about this frontwards and backwards, and this book briefly reviews these truths. As a professor of Systematic Theology, Dr. Feinberg assumed he had all the tools he needed for dealing with trial. Then catastrophe struck, and he discovered that we don’t really know suffering until we, too, have suffered.
He learned that in the moment of crisis and in the day-to-day for the long haul, sometimes the suffering don’t need the Biblical answers repeated to them. That time will come. But perhaps, what they need in that moment is for someone to sit quietly beside them, for their friends not to forget them, and for someone to come clean their bathroom.
Most of our offers of help aren’t helpful. He details these and why. For instance, and this is merely one of his many examples, he points out that when someone says, “If you need anything, please let me know,” the one who offered has in effect given difficult homework to the one suffering.
Until I read this section in Dr. Feinberg’s book, I hadn’t recognized that. This type of offer is always difficult for me. I seldom have the energy to come up with an idea, while simultaneously having the certainty that what I need won’t be too difficult or repugnant for the offerer to attempt. As a result, I typically never ask for help.
He writes that it is better for others to listen, to notice what needs to be done, and then to simply show up to help. In his example, a group organized to paint part of their home. When people came to visit they had noticed it needed done, so they did it. Not only did it help immensely, but the suffering ones felt seen, understood, and cherished. Something they could tangibly see every day had been done as an act of love.
We don’t do this well in our churches. I know I did it clumsily in my pre-illness days. I wish I’d seen clearly enough to simply show up to do what they couldn’t ask for. I wish I’d had the sensitivity and imagination to recognize the need, even though I hadn’t yet experienced what it’s like to be debilitated. I also wish I hadn’t allowed the harried pace of my life to crowd out acts of service. Before I became sick, I didn’t realize that this was the higher and better choice I should have made.
Most of us are the same. That makes this book a must-read.
This author understands, because he is living this alongside his wife. Not only did I learn how to serve others betters by reading his book, but I discovered what I now need for spiritual comfort in my own situation of chronic illness. I hadn’t recognized some of my own needs yet, for I’ve only been sick for three years. His wife has suffered for decades.
Seeking and comprehending the Biblical answers to the problem of pain and evil in the world is an undergirding that is essential to every Christian, for we all will suffer. We should know what God says about this frontwards and backwards, and this book briefly reviews these truths. As a professor of Systematic Theology, Dr. Feinberg assumed he had all the tools he needed for dealing with trial. Then catastrophe struck, and he discovered that we don’t really know suffering until we, too, have suffered.
He learned that in the moment of crisis and in the day-to-day for the long haul, sometimes the suffering don’t need the Biblical answers repeated to them. That time will come. But perhaps, what they need in that moment is for someone to sit quietly beside them, for their friends not to forget them, and for someone to come clean their bathroom.
Most of our offers of help aren’t helpful. He details these and why. For instance, and this is merely one of his many examples, he points out that when someone says, “If you need anything, please let me know,” the one who offered has in effect given difficult homework to the one suffering.
Until I read this section in Dr. Feinberg’s book, I hadn’t recognized that. This type of offer is always difficult for me. I seldom have the energy to come up with an idea, while simultaneously having the certainty that what I need won’t be too difficult or repugnant for the offerer to attempt. As a result, I typically never ask for help.
He writes that it is better for others to listen, to notice what needs to be done, and then to simply show up to help. In his example, a group organized to paint part of their home. When people came to visit they had noticed it needed done, so they did it. Not only did it help immensely, but the suffering ones felt seen, understood, and cherished. Something they could tangibly see every day had been done as an act of love.
We don’t do this well in our churches. I know I did it clumsily in my pre-illness days. I wish I’d seen clearly enough to simply show up to do what they couldn’t ask for. I wish I’d had the sensitivity and imagination to recognize the need, even though I hadn’t yet experienced what it’s like to be debilitated. I also wish I hadn’t allowed the harried pace of my life to crowd out acts of service. Before I became sick, I didn’t realize that this was the higher and better choice I should have made.
Most of us are the same. That makes this book a must-read.
July 25, 2016
Feinberg is an academic and had intellectually studied the problem of evil. Then his wife was diagnosed with Huntington's chorea. In shock, surprise, and pain, he found his intellectual work was of no comfort. What he shares here is his personal story of how he came to still love and serve the God who allows the suffering.
We would like to think that if we are really trying to seek God's will and be obedient, evil will not befall us. When it does, we wonder if we really want to still worship a God who rewards faithfulness with severe affliction. (17) A crisis of faith often results.
That is the kind of raw honesty with which Feinberg writes. He shares the stages he went through after his wife's diagnosis. I was interested to read that he realized intellectual answers were of little value for him. This was an emotional problem. A personal experience of affliction, he says, requires pastoral care, not an intellectual discussion.
The issue, Feiberg writes, is how to live with a God who doesn't prevent or stop the suffering. In helping others live with this reality, he gives good suggestions on what not to say. He lets us know what helped him, such as others allowing him to talk and really listening to him.
He honestly attacks questions like why some Christians have to suffer so much and others do not. He reveals the error of our expecting God to treat everyone the same, extending the grace of pain free living to all instead of just some. He does explain that affliction is part of living in a sinful world and that the more we follow God, the more we can expect attacks from Satan.
I recommend this book to those who minister to the afflicted. You won't find any cold intellectual writing about why Christians suffer. You will find an honest account of how one man came to grips with his relationship to God in the midst of affliction. You will receive some good insight into what the afflicted need in the way of ministry. You will also have some good information with which you can think and talk about God and suffering, as an Appendix includes several goals God may want to accomplish in the suffering.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
We would like to think that if we are really trying to seek God's will and be obedient, evil will not befall us. When it does, we wonder if we really want to still worship a God who rewards faithfulness with severe affliction. (17) A crisis of faith often results.
That is the kind of raw honesty with which Feinberg writes. He shares the stages he went through after his wife's diagnosis. I was interested to read that he realized intellectual answers were of little value for him. This was an emotional problem. A personal experience of affliction, he says, requires pastoral care, not an intellectual discussion.
The issue, Feiberg writes, is how to live with a God who doesn't prevent or stop the suffering. In helping others live with this reality, he gives good suggestions on what not to say. He lets us know what helped him, such as others allowing him to talk and really listening to him.
He honestly attacks questions like why some Christians have to suffer so much and others do not. He reveals the error of our expecting God to treat everyone the same, extending the grace of pain free living to all instead of just some. He does explain that affliction is part of living in a sinful world and that the more we follow God, the more we can expect attacks from Satan.
I recommend this book to those who minister to the afflicted. You won't find any cold intellectual writing about why Christians suffer. You will find an honest account of how one man came to grips with his relationship to God in the midst of affliction. You will receive some good insight into what the afflicted need in the way of ministry. You will also have some good information with which you can think and talk about God and suffering, as an Appendix includes several goals God may want to accomplish in the suffering.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
July 26, 2016
When There Are No Easy Answers by John Feinberg is personal and powerful work on suffering and the Christian. Feinberg draws on his own personal experience of walking with his life through her initial diagnosis of Huntington's disease and the subsequent course their life took giving practical advice in how to walk through suffering and how to minister to those who suffer.
Feinberg lays out his own personal wrestling with the problem of suffering, not just as a theoretical issue of philosophy but as a very real personal experience. He traces the feelings that those who experience might suffer pointing out the feelings of abandonment, anger, and betrayal that might arise. I think the third chapter of this book is one that could stand on its own. Often when we are dealing with others who are suffering we want to merely address the intellectual aspects and that too often with short glib answers. Feinberg effectively shows how these easy answers we try to address suffers with often hurt more than they help. Feinberg in the following chapters makes clear that in all of our suffering there is still evidence of God's goodness to us. Feinberg struggled with a feeling that somehow God had deceived him by not telling them what awaited them in the future, Feinberg shows this too is God's goodness as the present has enough to concern us.
As someone who is theologically and philosophically oriented this book was a helpful corrective for me. This book has helped me think through the personal and emotional aspects of suffering in addition to the intellectual questions that arise in light of suffering. I'd recommend this book to anyone. This isn't just a book for ministers, this a book for anyone as we will all experience some suffering and we will walk with others through suffering.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher for providing this review. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa...
Feinberg lays out his own personal wrestling with the problem of suffering, not just as a theoretical issue of philosophy but as a very real personal experience. He traces the feelings that those who experience might suffer pointing out the feelings of abandonment, anger, and betrayal that might arise. I think the third chapter of this book is one that could stand on its own. Often when we are dealing with others who are suffering we want to merely address the intellectual aspects and that too often with short glib answers. Feinberg effectively shows how these easy answers we try to address suffers with often hurt more than they help. Feinberg in the following chapters makes clear that in all of our suffering there is still evidence of God's goodness to us. Feinberg struggled with a feeling that somehow God had deceived him by not telling them what awaited them in the future, Feinberg shows this too is God's goodness as the present has enough to concern us.
As someone who is theologically and philosophically oriented this book was a helpful corrective for me. This book has helped me think through the personal and emotional aspects of suffering in addition to the intellectual questions that arise in light of suffering. I'd recommend this book to anyone. This isn't just a book for ministers, this a book for anyone as we will all experience some suffering and we will walk with others through suffering.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher for providing this review. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa...
August 5, 2016
My Thoughts On The Book:
Grief is tough to go through and reading about it brings back a lot of hard to deal with feelings. Having had a massive period of grief in my life I was given several books on dealing with grief to read. I wish I had been given this one. It was perfect for someone experiencing grief. When someone dies that we love the hardest thing is not knowing what to say, and when something is said it is not helpful at all. As a pastor I deal with people grieving on a regular basis and it is tough to help someone....especially if you are not doing a great job of it yourself. I love the fact that Feinberg covers the usual things people say.....that are not helpful, and why they are not helpful. So many times people quote scripture, but it is not used as it should be. Feinberg then moves on to tell the reader how to deal with grief. It is a personal book(Feinberg talks about dealing with his wife's diagnosis), not an easy read at all, and gives a lot of ways to deal with such a deep subject. The book is full of compassion and I truly believe that anyone dealing with grief and tragedy must read this.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Kregel Publications as part of their Blogging Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Grief is tough to go through and reading about it brings back a lot of hard to deal with feelings. Having had a massive period of grief in my life I was given several books on dealing with grief to read. I wish I had been given this one. It was perfect for someone experiencing grief. When someone dies that we love the hardest thing is not knowing what to say, and when something is said it is not helpful at all. As a pastor I deal with people grieving on a regular basis and it is tough to help someone....especially if you are not doing a great job of it yourself. I love the fact that Feinberg covers the usual things people say.....that are not helpful, and why they are not helpful. So many times people quote scripture, but it is not used as it should be. Feinberg then moves on to tell the reader how to deal with grief. It is a personal book(Feinberg talks about dealing with his wife's diagnosis), not an easy read at all, and gives a lot of ways to deal with such a deep subject. The book is full of compassion and I truly believe that anyone dealing with grief and tragedy must read this.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Kregel Publications as part of their Blogging Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
July 27, 2016
When something tragic happens in our life, that alters it forever, there is the tendency to ask “Why?” Sadly there is never an answer to this question, and if there were, none could bring relief and comfort.
Mr. Feinberg openly, transparently, and honestly walks the reader through grappling with the “whys” of personal tragedy. He shares his step by step is journey of pain from the diagnosis of his wife’s Huntington disease to acceptance, as one who has been there. I could relate to much of what he shared in relation to the death of my husband. He helps the reader understand that that God is a loving and caring even though He does not prevent bad things from happening to His children. The author shares his rawest emotions and thoughts as he wrestled with the unchangeable circumstances his family faced. He delves deep into scriptures to not to answer that age old question, but to find the help and strength that is needed to go on.
The book also does a wonderful job of instruction friends and family in how to be a support to one facing such challenges. This includes things NOT to do and some of these might surprise you as they are fairly common offerings when people try to minister to those that are hurting. Though it might sound like a depressing subject, this book is one of hope and healing.
Mr. Feinberg openly, transparently, and honestly walks the reader through grappling with the “whys” of personal tragedy. He shares his step by step is journey of pain from the diagnosis of his wife’s Huntington disease to acceptance, as one who has been there. I could relate to much of what he shared in relation to the death of my husband. He helps the reader understand that that God is a loving and caring even though He does not prevent bad things from happening to His children. The author shares his rawest emotions and thoughts as he wrestled with the unchangeable circumstances his family faced. He delves deep into scriptures to not to answer that age old question, but to find the help and strength that is needed to go on.
The book also does a wonderful job of instruction friends and family in how to be a support to one facing such challenges. This includes things NOT to do and some of these might surprise you as they are fairly common offerings when people try to minister to those that are hurting. Though it might sound like a depressing subject, this book is one of hope and healing.
July 22, 2016
Yet again, I am blessed to read and review a wonderful book on suffering and triumph through faith in Jesus! When There Are No Easy Answers is a book by a man who had to learn to see God's love and mercy through trial and suffering. In 1987 his beloved wife was diagnosed with an incurable, genetically transmitted disease. They were immediately challenged in their faith and their approach to God's goodness in the face of the evil of suffering.
In the months and years following the initial discovery of Mrs. Feignberg's chronic illness, the couple discovered just how little their Christian community understood about how to support people in crisis. One of the goals in this paperback is to open the eyes of Christians as to the importance of having the right perspective on suffering and the heart to help others through their times of trial.
I recommend this book for those who are going through suffering, have experienced it in the past and perhaps especially for those who, like me have never gone through anything major.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
In the months and years following the initial discovery of Mrs. Feignberg's chronic illness, the couple discovered just how little their Christian community understood about how to support people in crisis. One of the goals in this paperback is to open the eyes of Christians as to the importance of having the right perspective on suffering and the heart to help others through their times of trial.
I recommend this book for those who are going through suffering, have experienced it in the past and perhaps especially for those who, like me have never gone through anything major.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
July 29, 2016
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I am in a position of trying to help someone who is suffering, I'm frankly lost, baffled, and struggling to come up with the "right thing" to say. I know I am not alone in this. And most of the time, I end up putting my foot in my mouth, probably hurting the person more without intending to.
This book helps to show us what NOT to say, but at the same time, shows us what we CAN do as Christians, how we can support, help in a comforting way, and how to relate in a gentle way.
Trying to explain the why behind the suffering, pain and injustice of this world is near to impossible, if not impossible for us.
The author has a unique angle on this subject, as his wife has been chronically suffering for decades with no hope of healing, and no easy end in sight. The things that he and his family have experienced and the things people have been saying to him, give him a unique view on what actually needs to be said to people in our lives that are suffering in some way.
I believe this is a book that needs to be read by everyone, even if you only understand what *not* to say to those suffering.
When I am in a position of trying to help someone who is suffering, I'm frankly lost, baffled, and struggling to come up with the "right thing" to say. I know I am not alone in this. And most of the time, I end up putting my foot in my mouth, probably hurting the person more without intending to.
This book helps to show us what NOT to say, but at the same time, shows us what we CAN do as Christians, how we can support, help in a comforting way, and how to relate in a gentle way.
Trying to explain the why behind the suffering, pain and injustice of this world is near to impossible, if not impossible for us.
The author has a unique angle on this subject, as his wife has been chronically suffering for decades with no hope of healing, and no easy end in sight. The things that he and his family have experienced and the things people have been saying to him, give him a unique view on what actually needs to be said to people in our lives that are suffering in some way.
I believe this is a book that needs to be read by everyone, even if you only understand what *not* to say to those suffering.
October 13, 2016
This book is a wonderful resource for those who want to help a loved one in their suffering or who are currently going through their own suffering. Oftentimes, we approach those who are suffering with misguided advice and harmful words that we mean for good but actually heap more of a burden on the sufferer. John Feinberg recounts his own experience with suffering when his wife was diagnosed with a terminal disease. Not only is he writing from experience and out of a place of current suffering, but he writes solid, Biblical insight that will aid both the sufferer and the one trying to help him or her.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews