Where Is God in All the Suffering?

Questioning Faith

by Amy Orr-Ewing

Suffering and evil affect us all, both at a general level, as we look at a world filled with injustice, natural disasters and poverty, and at a personal level, as we experience grief, pain and unfairness. And how we think about and process the reality of pain is at the heart of why many people reject God.

Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing is no stranger to pain and gives a heartfelt yet academically rigorous examination of how different belief systems deal with the problem of pain. She explains the unique answer that is found in Christ and how he can give us hope in the reality of suffering.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Theology, Faith, Religion

134 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2020

About the author

Dr Amy Orr-Ewing is the Co-Director of The Oxford Centre of Christian Apologetics, and speaks around the world on how the Christian faith answers the deepest questions of life.

Reviews

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent. The audiobook is beautifully read by the author herself and I’d highly recommend the audio version for this reason.
Topics such as anger, grief, sickness, mental illness, violence, natural disasters and systemic suffering are unpacked in a clear, concise and compassionate way.
Quotes by people such as the poet Mary Oliver, Russian novelist, philosopher and historian Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, psychiatrist & researcher Bessel van der Kolk, neurologist and historian of science Oliver Sacks add to the richness of discussion within each chapter.
The book looks at a range of faiths, human values and approaches to life and the ways we seek to find meaning and response to suffering and its offshoots.
Above all, the author underlines that our suffering matters to God. That WE as unique individuals matter to God.
It is an intelligently written, well thought through piece which is delivered in a loving and sensitive yet clear way.
It leaves the reader to consider its contents and to draw their own conclusions from the facts presented.
If in doubt about picking this book up, why not just give it a whirl? At the very least, it will give you food for thought, or it may just change your life!

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Orr Ewing tackles the question of that always seems to surface whenever hard times hit. Where is God? She looks at the issues from a variety of worldviews, but ultimately presents a case that the Christian God is present, loving, and caring even when it looks like he is absent.

This is a short book presented in a very readable form, and Amy Orr Ewing wrote it very recently (the covid pandemic is discussed). I like that she tackled several areas of suffering that are often overlooked in this kind of discussion (like systemic injustice and emotional health struggles). The book is approachable for both those who are Christian and those who are not.

[Emmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely brilliant and a game changer for anyone who’s ever wondered about possibly the biggest question that has hindered people from approaching God.

[Daniel Gilman · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020 has forced many inside and outside of Christianity to ask how could a loving God allow so much suffering? Into the heartfelt questions that stem from global and personal pain, Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing’s brief and beautifully written Where is God in all the Suffering? provides clear, succinct, and much needed answers.

This book is engaging, intimate, honest, and full of hope. From the streets of London to the slums of Kampala, Amy vulnerably invites readers into her family’s personal encounters with horrendous suffering, providing fresh answers that will be a source of comfort and encouragement to many.

I am surprised by the depth and breadth of this book in light of how succinct it is. Among the questions she addresses in this quick read are:

- Where is God in my chronic pain?
- Where is God in the experience of mental illness?
- Where is God in our encounters with suicide?
- Where is God amidst systemic injustice?
- Where is God in natural disasters?
- Where is God in the fear, suffering, and grief of this global pandemic?
- And so many more painful and searching questions.

In all of her answers Amy is intellectually honest as she addresses both the academic and philosophical implications of these questions while always empathetically speaking to the very personal and heart-wrenching nature of these questions. Those who enjoyed Ravi Zacharias’s compassionate answers and wonderful story telling will be delighted to see how his longtime friend and colleague carries on this approach to apologetics.

Where is God in all the Suffering? will provide comfort directly to those experiencing excruciating pain and helpful insights to those struggling to figure out how to help others. It is so brief it can be read in one sitting and so engaging that I expect it will be.

Amy succinctly and insightfully presents the answers to the question of suffering offered by Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and various threads of atheism. She is fair in everything she writes, and humble as she presents the alternative that Jesus offers through his own wounds.

I was struck by how she writes about the sacredness of anger in suffering. She explains that anger at suffering can be a beautiful and a healthy response. My favourite pages were those devoted to questions surrounding suicide. A friend of mine took her life just a few months ago, and this book powerfully ministered to me in my present pain.

One of the most extraordinary features of this book is her use of poems and stories from the Bible. She includes a ton of quotes but always and only in a way that someone completely unfamiliar with the Bible will understand and appreciate. I believe those with little interest in the Bible will find themselves hungry to open it up again and find fresh answers to their most difficult and earnest question there.

The book crescendos with the person and work of Jesus. Ultimately, readers will finish this brief book with an earnest desire to know him more. In a year that is as painful as 2020, this book will introduce people to the person of Jesus, safeguard the faith of those of us who are struggling, and humbly remind us of the good news we desperately need to hear.

You will get to know and trust Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing as you read Where is God in all the Suffering? Regardless of your background and no matter what you are going through, you will feel understood and safe with her. This is sure to be a timeless book, but one that could only be written in a year as globally chaotic and painful as 2020.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much has happened in 2020. We know about the loss and hurt in this world. And there are countless personal stories of pain that will never make the news. In Amy Orr-Ewing’s new book, she answers the question: Where is God in all the Suffering?

A Christian Worldview on Suffering

In just over 100 pages, Orr-Ewing presents a survey of different beliefs and gives a defense for a Christian worldview on suffering. It is intellectually stimulating, emotionally sincere, and gloriously Christ-exalting.

Why does the death of a loved one hurt so much? Losing a person hurts because a human is inexpressibly, eternally, and undeniably precious. The hope of the resurrection of Jesus is the truth we need. We are reminded that God is with us in suffering. The Christian faith does not gloss over loss. Rather, our grief makes sense and our sense of loss is validated.

Sickness and Healing

Chapter 4: Sickness seems especially relevant. While COVID-19 is not mentioned, the content is clearly applicable. Orr-Ewing says that the Bible undergirds our human dignity no matter how unwell, unproductive, or incapacitated.

Speaking to my background as a Registered Nurse, I was reminded that palliative care stems from a commitment to God. Furthermore, those who suffer from chronic illnesses have a special reliance on the love and care of God. In regards to healing, Orr-Ewing explains how most of our Christian experience is the “now and not yet.” Jesus has come, and while we may not experience healing in this life, we can know for certain that we are not alone.

Depression and Natural Disasters

The Christian faith recognizes the reality of depression. It is an affliction fracturing and dislocating our body, mind, and soul. Orr-Ewing reminds us that we are loved by God, and therefore, we have hope. Self-harm and suicide are also dealt with seriously - and our significance comes from God’s love for us

Orr-Ewing next calls us to consider the Fall and the natural world, including natural disasters. Some may ask if God is willing or able to help, and the answer is that Jesus calls the church to be his hands and feet in a broken and dying world. Christian charity must be championed and we must continue to follow in the way of Jesus.

Our Suffering Servant

The book ends by looking at Jesus, the Suffering Servant. In Isaiah 53, the cross of Christ redefines everything. In fact, we can welcome, embrace, accept, and endure suffering. It is a powerful and moving chapter, and one of the strongest expositions of Isaiah 53 that I have encountered as it ties together all of the previous chapters.

In a quick conclusion, Orr-Ewing invites the reader to a relationship with Jesus. To invite him into your life and to let him step into your pain. This book has caused me to cling closer to Christ and his cross. Where is God in all the suffering? He is reaching out to you with his nail-pierced hand. Holding, helping, and giving hope.

I received a media copy of Where is God in all the Suffering? and this is my honest review.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Amy Orr-Ewing shares personal stories and theological insights, exploring the ever-difficult question of why a loving God would allow suffering, and where He is in the midst of it. She does not presume to have all the answers, but explores how the Christian worldview offers a deeper, more meaningful understanding of suffering than other ideologies can offer. This is a short book, so she has to simplify the other worldviews that she addresses, but she clearly explains how Christianity provides a robust view of human dignity and honors the reality and pain of suffering in a way that materialistic worldviews cannot. We are not just molecules; we are souls, and the reason why we feel such agony over death, evil, and brokenness is because human beings matter.

She does not sugar-coat life to make it seem better than it is, and shares stories from her own life and social circles to address issues like grief, sickness, death, mental health issues, and systemic injustice. After she sets the stage at the beginning of the book, she focuses on a different type of suffering in each chapter, which makes the book particularly accessible for someone with questions about a specific topic. One of the chapters is specifically about natural disasters, and she addresses our current pandemic here, as well as alluding to COVID-19 in other parts of the book. I appreciate how she was able to include this immediately relevant concern without sharing a simplistic hot take.

Where is God in all the Suffering? is accessible to both Christians and skeptics. Orr-Ewing draws on Scripture to illustrate her points about the significance and value of human life, engages with difficult questions about God's involvement in suffering, and creates a compelling picture of Christ as the suffering servant who took on the world's sin and death for our ultimate healing. However, she writes all of this with an ear to skeptic's concerns, and presents her arguments in logical syllogisms, rather than relying on a shared belief background alone. This is a compelling and meaningful book that can help believers and skeptics engage with the topic of suffering, and even though it is short and simple, it is intellectually honest, tender, and heartfelt.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Adam Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing (partly) in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, Amy Orr-Ewing tackles one of the biggest intellectual challenges to Christian faith: Where is God in all the suffering? She takes an interesting approach, discussing the question under topical chapters addressing issues such as "Sickness", "Mental Illness" and "Natural Disasters." She combines personal experience, philosophical argument and biblical reflection to show how the Christian worldview makes best sense of the painful realities of this world.

Much of the book is an apologetic against mere materialism, and one of Amy Orr-Ewing's key arguments is that our experience of suffering points to the value and sacredness of our lives, as created in the image of God. If life was not precious, and did not have a transcendent dimension, then we would not find ourselves asking "Why?", we would not feel anger in the face of apparent injustice, and our suffering would not be so acute.

This is definitely a helpful book that will be a blessing for many, though personally I found it quite repetitive, and did not find all of the worldview discussions that engaging. It's also tragic to see a book like this praising Ravi Zacharias in the acknowledgements! I'm glad I read it, but I probably won't return to it.

[Rosa M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure how to write a review for this book because it covers so much. It's unflinching at the reality of evil and suffering, and allows space for grief, confusion, anger, and doubt. Orr-Ewing is so intentional in addressing the nuances of different suffering, from tsunamis to self-harm. She reminds us again and again that what makes us grieve is the fact that we love, and we love because we were created by a loving God who gave us that ability. He doesn't rejoice in our suffering nor does he condone it, in fact he entered into our suffering alongside us. I knew intellectually parts of this book to be true but the author puts so much care into working logically to a conclusion and examining other perspectives from other religions and thinkers that it just cemented those views for me. Also, I appreciated how grounded she was in reminding the modern church of our responsibility to the world to alleviate suffering, not cause it. We're called not only to love our neighbor, but to actively champion justice and bind the wounds of the hurting and feed the hungry. Sometimes calling out to God as to why this could happen distracts us from the fact that it is our job to serve the suffering.

[Josh Olds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where is God in all the Suffering? It’s a question both easy and difficult to answer. The easy answer, the typical answer, comes in the line from that old Footprints poem “It was then that I carried you.” Except many don’t feel carried through their suffering. God seems distant or even absent. He seems indifferent to pain and suffering, whether it’s personal tragedy or global pandemic.

Theologians have long academized the problem of pain, standing apart as an impartial third-party. This is great for philosophical reflection, but does nothing to help the questioner. And we should always make sure we are answering the questioner, even if that means not directly answering their question. The other side of this response is often a reliance on platitudes and emotionalism. These, too, are no balm to the sufferer. Amy Orr-Ewing takes a balanced approach, writing out of her own suffering yet pointing to foundational principles in Scripture.

What sets Where is God in all the Suffering? apart from any other work on the subject is that Orr-Ewing is intensely practical and personal. She shares her own story, perhaps taking her cue from C.S. Lewis’s classic work on the subject. She also arranges her conversations topically. She talks about anger, grief, mental illness, violence, natural disasters, and systemic suffering. This isn’t a story told in the abstract, but a treatise that deals specifically with some of the most intense areas of suffering.

The chapter on mental illness alone is worth the book’s price. Mental illness is often overlooked and not spoken about at all, let alone in relation to suffering. Simply validating things like depression and anxiety as legitimate forms of suffering—acknowledging them as real and a brokenness that should be grieved over—goes a long way. While the book’s length keeps most chapters from doing a deep dive, Orr-Ewing lingers in this area and speaks life into it.

This is a book I would read a chapter a day. Treat it like a devotional. Savor it for just a few minutes every day and spend time contemplating it. Where is God in all the Suffering? is the beginning of many conversations. It’s meant to provide hope amid distress and push readers forward toward healing. It does all those things very well.

[Riley D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went to a conference where Amy spoke and she is brilliant. A superb speaker and thinker. I was very blessed by her lecture. I bought this book there because it’s a topic I’m most passionate about and I loved her lesson so much.

This book has spectacular content. Where it loses a star for me, is that it reads a bit like a classroom lecture. She shares helpful stories of first hand experience as a witness to suffering and she’s present with it and honouring of it, So I don’t mean to tear the book down. It’s just a different type of read. It gives evidence, stories, and thoughtful insight. I would recommend it. But it reads like it’s written by a teacher, not a writer, taking down the reading experience slightly. But again!!! My copy is all marked up with highlighter!!! Read it.

My favourite book on suffering is “God On Mute” by Pete Greig. I’ll try to write a review on it sooner than later.

[Frank Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that takes on one of the difficult questions everyone (who thinks) needs to wrestle with. The author shows how Christianity provides the best answers toward suffering, and how other religious or anti-religious views leave much more to be desired. The book is thoughtful, generous, and very empathetic. Ultimately, this empathy meant that the answers provided were more emotive than logical. For 2024, I believe the author is correct in choosing this emphasis. However, for me, I found too many questions left dangling.

[Louis Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly a brilliant approach to an age-old question. Orr-Ewing not only goes after the “common” questions of suffering, she meticulously discusses suffering in the realm of mental illness, violence and systemic suffering. This is a book for both believer and non-believer because it takes seriously the claims people have always had. If you are at all wrestling with the question of God’s existence or love in a world like ours, I cannot recommend this book enough.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find that the author is a “woman pastor” suspect since that is not a combo I see in the Bible. But I mostly did not like how each chapter shared a story of real suffering…I am reading this book bc I am at my max in struggling with anxiety and do not need any more examples of horrible ways things can go wrong in the world😫. I just want her hot take and wisdom about how I should see and process it as a Christian who wants to keep my faith. I did think she had some helpful things to say, but some of the chapters felt like a complete waste of time.

[Ellelein Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem! This little book is a great book on apologetics, especially all those very difficult questions we as Christians might face. Written in a sincere and clear manner, it is both pastoral and academic. This is a book to take notes from, underline, and that may encourage you to pray more, to live out our faith and to give God the glory he deserves.

[Drake Whaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. It speaks to specific areas of suffering, and where God is in each of them. (Such as natural disaster, mental health, grief, etc). Very good, personal, and well thought out book from Amy Orr-Ewing. I would definitely recommend for those who are struggling to see Jesus’s heart towards them in the it suffering.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m torn on a rating for this little book. Mostly I would give it a 3 ⭐️. I enjoyed the last chapters more. It felt slightly repetitive for such a quick read and never actually hit on any ‘ah-ha’ moments for me personally. The ending was a good reminder and was encouraging as someone who struggles with chronic pain.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although classed as 'easy to read' - not for me. Required alot of thinking about in between chapters which were usefully classified into different areas of grief/need for understanding. It is a book I will read again I am sure as an explanation for suffering in a Christian context was offered but I need to think about and work through again.

[Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Clear and effective dissection of this pesky subject. Intersected with relevant life stories which helps to engage with different aspects of suffering each then rounded off with plenty of biblical hope.

[Kristen Petty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and quick read. Written for those questioning their faith, or the existence of a God who could allow so much suffering. I enjoyed it and walked away with stronger faith. I have asked this question myself and most recently was asked. I wish I had read this sooner to have a better answer.

[Peter & Linda McLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

insightful and thought-provoking

Love the way Amy manages to give us lots of different perspectives on suffering. I found this book challenging and it did make me question myself… but in a good way.

[Kate M. Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A straightforward guide to the Christian worldview in relation to suffering, pain, and judgment. Would recommend for new Christians or for non-Christians who genuinely want to understand the Christian perspective on these questions.

[Trevor Atwood]

Not a bad short book responding to the titular question

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, helpful, and concise. Good for devotional and pastoral in content. I will go back to the book as a reminder for myself.

[Jordan Kinsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so ready for this book to be a giant disappointment. It turned out to be a book that I know I’ll return to again and again for the rest of my life.

[Evan Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘We were made for love, beauty, and goodness in some primary way.’

[AM · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the topic. I don't think I really learned anything new by reading it, but Orr-Ewing puts it all so beautifully and succinctly.

[Rohan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It repeated itself quite often, especially on why evil exists in the first place, ("darkness and suffering have come into the world as a direct result of our human exercise of moral choice"), and how suffering is only seen as sad because humans are made in the image of God ("human life has a transcendent source, we are bearers of the image of God")
Almost as though it imagined the reader would just skip to the sections they wanted (which I don't necessarily think is a bad thing, but just meant it got a bit repetitive at points).
Also lots of personal stories that were helpful.

Did not answer why there is God-caused suffering in the bible, e.g. Job or Judges.

[Michallia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book attempts to address the universal question of God's presence in suffering but falls short. While it effectively categorizes various types of suffering (anger, grief, mental illness, natural disasters), the content feels repetitive and the answer unsatisfying.

The author suggests that suffering is an inherent result of free will, necessary for genuine love, and that God is present in all suffering because humans are made in God's image.

Overall, this book didn't meet my expectations. While it sparks important discussions, I found it lacking in depth and insight.