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Good Catastrophe: The Tide-Turning Power of Hope
"No cliches. No hype. No psychobabble. Just a breathtakingly honest and fresh perspective on an ancient and life-changing truth."--DRS. LES & LESLIE PARROTT, #1 New York Times bestselling authors
Unlock the Force of Hope in Life's Hardest Fights.
Good Catastrophe is your blueprint for finding your way out of pain. It is an atypical, no holds barred message of redemptive hope that will breathe new sunshine into your soul.
We need to rebrand hope. The era of everything in our lives fitting neatly in a box is done. That world is over. We need hope—but we need a hope that is robust enough to speak to real life.
Imagine the tide turning on your greatest challenges and problems. In a gritty and unique take on the story of Job, Benjamin Windle shows that flourishing does not come from a life devoid of loneliness, trauma, and anxiety. It's one lived with hope engineered for adversity.
Along with Job's story, he pulls from J. R. R. Tolkien's fascinating concept of "eucatastrophe," showing that your greatest good starts at your point of deepest pain. True hope is not hype. It's not pretending that everything is fine. Hardship, not perfection, is the starting point of hope.
Discover the secret to weathering life's storms, learn how to rise above daily imperfections, find out how to survive crises and come out better, and gain an ultimate perspective on every challenge you face in life.
Unlock the Force of Hope in Life's Hardest Fights.
Good Catastrophe is your blueprint for finding your way out of pain. It is an atypical, no holds barred message of redemptive hope that will breathe new sunshine into your soul.
We need to rebrand hope. The era of everything in our lives fitting neatly in a box is done. That world is over. We need hope—but we need a hope that is robust enough to speak to real life.
Imagine the tide turning on your greatest challenges and problems. In a gritty and unique take on the story of Job, Benjamin Windle shows that flourishing does not come from a life devoid of loneliness, trauma, and anxiety. It's one lived with hope engineered for adversity.
Along with Job's story, he pulls from J. R. R. Tolkien's fascinating concept of "eucatastrophe," showing that your greatest good starts at your point of deepest pain. True hope is not hype. It's not pretending that everything is fine. Hardship, not perfection, is the starting point of hope.
Discover the secret to weathering life's storms, learn how to rise above daily imperfections, find out how to survive crises and come out better, and gain an ultimate perspective on every challenge you face in life.
208 pages, Paperback
Published April 18, 2023
29 people are currently reading
3456 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Windle
3 books42 followersBenjamin Windle is an author and speaker and cultural guide for today’s generation.
He speaks to the deeper challenges we all experience, helping people reimagine Christian faith in modern secular culture.
Benjamin is a thought leader for some of the most respected Christian brands worldwide such as the Barna Group, and hosts the Dear God podcast on K-Love.
With over 20 years as a trusted Pastor—planting churches and guiding congregations—he is a cultural expert on the next generation and the church.
His publications and courses have empowered tens of thousands of pastors and leaders to navigate the changing landscape of the modern church, and he consults for a range of influential and multifaceted churches.
As an entrepreneur with an MBA and Executive Education from MIT Sloan, his academic journey complements his authentic, conversational style.
Benjamin has been happily married for over 20 years and loves the adventure of raising his three teenage sons.
He speaks to the deeper challenges we all experience, helping people reimagine Christian faith in modern secular culture.
Benjamin is a thought leader for some of the most respected Christian brands worldwide such as the Barna Group, and hosts the Dear God podcast on K-Love.
With over 20 years as a trusted Pastor—planting churches and guiding congregations—he is a cultural expert on the next generation and the church.
His publications and courses have empowered tens of thousands of pastors and leaders to navigate the changing landscape of the modern church, and he consults for a range of influential and multifaceted churches.
As an entrepreneur with an MBA and Executive Education from MIT Sloan, his academic journey complements his authentic, conversational style.
Benjamin has been happily married for over 20 years and loves the adventure of raising his three teenage sons.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 21, 2023
Just finished this book Good Catastrophe by Benjamin Windle. It’s absolutely wonderful, drawing from an ancient wisdom around pain and suffering, and the purpose of hope! Such an important message for all, particularly in the world we live in right now. The writer as you will see has a personal understanding of pain, and he expertly explores the philosophy surrounding it and pragmatically lights a path forward without being cliché.
A beautiful and helpful book.
A beautiful and helpful book.
May 1, 2023
Know HOPE
This book has the Answers!
Realize our Struggles, setbacks, and seemingly impossible circumstances will work themselves out…When “life” happens…. Faith, Hope, & Love can get us through!
This book has the Answers!
Realize our Struggles, setbacks, and seemingly impossible circumstances will work themselves out…When “life” happens…. Faith, Hope, & Love can get us through!
April 23, 2024
Realistic and relatable without being cliche’. The audio version is easy to absorb.
May 31, 2023
Loved It
I’m inspired to continue to hope! Windle’s stories and personal transparency made the book that more readable. This was a good read and inspiring. It gave me life!!!
I’m inspired to continue to hope! Windle’s stories and personal transparency made the book that more readable. This was a good read and inspiring. It gave me life!!!
August 16, 2023
Summary: Drawing upon the Book of Job and Tolkien’s idea of “eucastrophe,” proposes that when we face pain and adversity, we are at the place where great good can occur.
The American dream of the good life is an illusion. Despite our curated Instagrams, life often goes sideways in painful ways. A parent loses a child. A disaster destroys a home. You experience a series of financial reverses. A friend is diagnosed with a serious or terminal illness. We struggle with a chronic affliction for which there seems to be no remedy. If you live long enough, you discover that a good life of peace, health, family accord, great friends, and prosperity comes undone. What hope have we in the face of the inevitable catastrophes of life?
Benjamin Windle has faced painful adversity from a dangerous dog attack on a child to the loss of a brother to cancer and fire at one business property and flooding at another in the same year. As he wrestled with these matters, he turned to the book of Job and studied J.R.R. Tolkien’s idea of the “eucatastrophe”–the good catastrophe–when seemingly terrible things bring out qualities of courage, resilience, and hope in the lives of those who suffer and face adversity.
He begins with Job’s self-description of the stump that at “the scent of water” buds to life (Job 14:7-9). When we face devastation, do we seek “the scent of water”? That doesn’t mean we are not honest about our brokenness, our pain, our failures. Alluding to Leonard Cohen, he observes that “It’s the cracks that let the light in.” With Tolkien, he argues that pain and hope are not opposites but close relatives. Sometimes, it simply comes down to practicing hope in the ordinary, not unlike Stephan Curry’s practice in a rough backyard court where he determined to make shots rather than chase the missed ones.
Windle tells great stories to illustrate the great good that often accompanies adversity. He recounts the Keith Jarrett performance in Paris, a best-selling recording, where he learns that the piano he requested was not available and the old one available was out of tune with sticking keys. He ended up improvising one of the most amazing performances of his life. To illustrate how friendships can sustain us in adversity, he describes the two hundred hands that passed children hand to hand out of flooded caves in Thailand.
Ultimately hope is rooted in the character of God and our everlasting destiny. Adversity draws us to lean deeply into these realities. Windle offers us a framework for leaning into that hope beginning with sitting in the pain, mining the good, and seeing eternity. He doesn’t inundate us with cliches and sentimentality but he does call our attention to how pain and hope meet in many lives, from Job’s to his own. The chapters are short, easily read with artwork and quotes that tastefully introduce each chapter. This is a good book to read if the dream of a good life has become a nightmare, and you are wondering how to live with hope when everything is going wrong.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.
The American dream of the good life is an illusion. Despite our curated Instagrams, life often goes sideways in painful ways. A parent loses a child. A disaster destroys a home. You experience a series of financial reverses. A friend is diagnosed with a serious or terminal illness. We struggle with a chronic affliction for which there seems to be no remedy. If you live long enough, you discover that a good life of peace, health, family accord, great friends, and prosperity comes undone. What hope have we in the face of the inevitable catastrophes of life?
Benjamin Windle has faced painful adversity from a dangerous dog attack on a child to the loss of a brother to cancer and fire at one business property and flooding at another in the same year. As he wrestled with these matters, he turned to the book of Job and studied J.R.R. Tolkien’s idea of the “eucatastrophe”–the good catastrophe–when seemingly terrible things bring out qualities of courage, resilience, and hope in the lives of those who suffer and face adversity.
He begins with Job’s self-description of the stump that at “the scent of water” buds to life (Job 14:7-9). When we face devastation, do we seek “the scent of water”? That doesn’t mean we are not honest about our brokenness, our pain, our failures. Alluding to Leonard Cohen, he observes that “It’s the cracks that let the light in.” With Tolkien, he argues that pain and hope are not opposites but close relatives. Sometimes, it simply comes down to practicing hope in the ordinary, not unlike Stephan Curry’s practice in a rough backyard court where he determined to make shots rather than chase the missed ones.
Windle tells great stories to illustrate the great good that often accompanies adversity. He recounts the Keith Jarrett performance in Paris, a best-selling recording, where he learns that the piano he requested was not available and the old one available was out of tune with sticking keys. He ended up improvising one of the most amazing performances of his life. To illustrate how friendships can sustain us in adversity, he describes the two hundred hands that passed children hand to hand out of flooded caves in Thailand.
Ultimately hope is rooted in the character of God and our everlasting destiny. Adversity draws us to lean deeply into these realities. Windle offers us a framework for leaning into that hope beginning with sitting in the pain, mining the good, and seeing eternity. He doesn’t inundate us with cliches and sentimentality but he does call our attention to how pain and hope meet in many lives, from Job’s to his own. The chapters are short, easily read with artwork and quotes that tastefully introduce each chapter. This is a good book to read if the dream of a good life has become a nightmare, and you are wondering how to live with hope when everything is going wrong.
________________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.
May 28, 2023
In Good Catastrophe, Benjamin Windle explored the pain to dealing with greatest struggles and challenges and how hope can arise from our pain. In the book, he went into great detail about the story of Job and pulled principles that we can use to assist us in our pain. In the book, he explained how his seven-year-old son survived a dog attack from a Rottweiler. It attacked his face and neck and left a large laceration on his neck. He begged God to let his son live and to take him instead. Luckily the attacked missed any tendons, nerves, and arteries. He clarified how as a father he was supposed to protect him. But he couldn’t when he didn’t even see what was coming. He shared how he was able to have hope even when he didn’t understand why the pain happened.
He also shared how his brother was diagnosed with melanoma cancer and it was in stage four. He fought for his life for over five years before going home to Jesus. He was forty-one when he passed. When he was first writing the book, he was still here and he explained how he was battling the uncertainty and the unknown. He revealed two ways that readers can use to forge purpose for our pain. One of these included focusing on others and taking our eyes for our own problems. He shared how Job focused on the poor and orphans. He reached out and gave hope to others and they in turned blessed him. And as we all know his story is still blessing others. We can have ultimate hope that even if we lack the answers, we are seeking on why things happen, we can rely on the fact there will be a day when one day there will be no pain.
I would recommend this awesome book about pain and heartache to anyone who is seeking a book that will provide you with inspiration hope. I immensely loved how he looked at the whole life of Job and how he lost everything. He was at rock bottom and he felt alone and abandoned by friends and family. He lost his kids, health, and his wealth. One of my favorites stories was about the broken piano that Keith Jarrett played and was able to make a best-selling album by working around the broken keys. I liked how he used this story to remind us to use our brokenness and to forge purpose from our pain. I loved how he wrote a book in assisting readers in weathering life’s storms and standing firm with our anchors.
"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”
He also shared how his brother was diagnosed with melanoma cancer and it was in stage four. He fought for his life for over five years before going home to Jesus. He was forty-one when he passed. When he was first writing the book, he was still here and he explained how he was battling the uncertainty and the unknown. He revealed two ways that readers can use to forge purpose for our pain. One of these included focusing on others and taking our eyes for our own problems. He shared how Job focused on the poor and orphans. He reached out and gave hope to others and they in turned blessed him. And as we all know his story is still blessing others. We can have ultimate hope that even if we lack the answers, we are seeking on why things happen, we can rely on the fact there will be a day when one day there will be no pain.
I would recommend this awesome book about pain and heartache to anyone who is seeking a book that will provide you with inspiration hope. I immensely loved how he looked at the whole life of Job and how he lost everything. He was at rock bottom and he felt alone and abandoned by friends and family. He lost his kids, health, and his wealth. One of my favorites stories was about the broken piano that Keith Jarrett played and was able to make a best-selling album by working around the broken keys. I liked how he used this story to remind us to use our brokenness and to forge purpose from our pain. I loved how he wrote a book in assisting readers in weathering life’s storms and standing firm with our anchors.
"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”
March 24, 2024
I don't want to criticize this book too harshly given that we need books on hope. Windle does do a pretty decent job at exploring the mental contradictions we go through to convince ourselves that there is no hope. At times, he does this very well, offering comparable existential clarity to someone like Thich Nhat Hanh. But at other times - unlike what the main review on the back claims - he does descend into cliché and I will say psychobabble because it certainly could have been researched better. My main example of that is no where in the book does he describe the concept of "post-traumatic growth" He basically describes it without mentioning that term, which shows a lack of research.
There's one chapter in particular that turned me off and luckily it didn't come til closer to the end. That chapter is called Submarine and in it, Windle says we must put our faith in God and his plan. That's utter nonsense. It's the reason why I was skeptical to read this. I'm fine with drawing lessons from the Bible, as he did throughout with Job's story. But then to claim that the Bible provides definitive proof of eucatastrophe as orchestrated by God's will sullies everything he talked about before. The bottom line is faith is blind and if faith is necessary for hope, then hope is also blind. That contradicts his writing earlier in the book when he claims there's more to hope than blind hope.
There's one chapter in particular that turned me off and luckily it didn't come til closer to the end. That chapter is called Submarine and in it, Windle says we must put our faith in God and his plan. That's utter nonsense. It's the reason why I was skeptical to read this. I'm fine with drawing lessons from the Bible, as he did throughout with Job's story. But then to claim that the Bible provides definitive proof of eucatastrophe as orchestrated by God's will sullies everything he talked about before. The bottom line is faith is blind and if faith is necessary for hope, then hope is also blind. That contradicts his writing earlier in the book when he claims there's more to hope than blind hope.
June 5, 2023
Good Catastrophe by Benjamin Windle is based on the book of Job.
Good Catastrophe is indeed a unique take on Job. There are twelve chapters in this book that is about 200 pages in length. Windle weaves his thoughts back and forth from stories from today, from history and from the Bible and relates to the story of Job. He does also pull from J. R. R. Tolkein and his concept of :Eucatastrophe," which I did find interesting. Initially, I found the book encouraging and hope-giving. Then as I went along, honestly, I struggled to relate to some of his illustrations as being hopeful. I realize the ultimate hope in life is our hope in eternal life in Jesus, so that I get. At the same time, as someone who is in a difficult situation in this life, I don't honestly want to read illustrations that don't eat well and he had a few of those. I understood the point he was making most of the time. Other times, I didn't follow his thinking that well. This may just be me. Certainly, Good Catastrophe may be a book that may speak to you and is worth a try. With all of the good review, I think I am in the minority but I strive to be honest in my reflections. God uses different books for different people. The chapters are short and his writing is clear and straightforward, which I did like.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.
Good Catastrophe is indeed a unique take on Job. There are twelve chapters in this book that is about 200 pages in length. Windle weaves his thoughts back and forth from stories from today, from history and from the Bible and relates to the story of Job. He does also pull from J. R. R. Tolkein and his concept of :Eucatastrophe," which I did find interesting. Initially, I found the book encouraging and hope-giving. Then as I went along, honestly, I struggled to relate to some of his illustrations as being hopeful. I realize the ultimate hope in life is our hope in eternal life in Jesus, so that I get. At the same time, as someone who is in a difficult situation in this life, I don't honestly want to read illustrations that don't eat well and he had a few of those. I understood the point he was making most of the time. Other times, I didn't follow his thinking that well. This may just be me. Certainly, Good Catastrophe may be a book that may speak to you and is worth a try. With all of the good review, I think I am in the minority but I strive to be honest in my reflections. God uses different books for different people. The chapters are short and his writing is clear and straightforward, which I did like.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.
May 13, 2024
Note: I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
The book is a series of essays on hope as the basis of living a happy, functional life. To be honest they sound more like a compendium of sermons, which makes sense since the author is a minister. The book often refers to the Story of Job and his hope in his future after the overwhelming disasters that befell him. The author relies on writers such as C. S. Lewis (of course ), Tolkien, and Nelson Mandela. Also such notable philosophers as Bill Gates, Matthew McCounaughey and....J. Cole.
There are many people who will find solace and peace from reading this book.
The book is a series of essays on hope as the basis of living a happy, functional life. To be honest they sound more like a compendium of sermons, which makes sense since the author is a minister. The book often refers to the Story of Job and his hope in his future after the overwhelming disasters that befell him. The author relies on writers such as C. S. Lewis (of course ), Tolkien, and Nelson Mandela. Also such notable philosophers as Bill Gates, Matthew McCounaughey and....J. Cole.
There are many people who will find solace and peace from reading this book.
May 28, 2023
A Must-Read and Essential Book for Life!
I just finished this book and I couldn't recommend it enough. Even though I know the story of Job, Ben does a 10/10 job bringing the points to life and explaining it in ways I have never seen before.
The framework at the end is so simple but true in the way we should approach and think about the seemingly negative and sometimes even catastrophic events in our life.
This book is life changing and in my top 10 for books you have to read at some point.
Thank you Ben!
I just finished this book and I couldn't recommend it enough. Even though I know the story of Job, Ben does a 10/10 job bringing the points to life and explaining it in ways I have never seen before.
The framework at the end is so simple but true in the way we should approach and think about the seemingly negative and sometimes even catastrophic events in our life.
This book is life changing and in my top 10 for books you have to read at some point.
Thank you Ben!
December 4, 2024
Good Catastrophe by Benjamin Windle should be required reading for every Christian. Do we deal with the "catastrophes" in our life as we should? This book explains simply and clearly why how we view and respond to catastrophes tells others a lot about us; but, not only that, he gives examples of how bad things that happen to us turn out for our good. As he said, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future."
October 25, 2023
This book came to me at the right time. I found the author from devotionals on The You Version app. and when his book was recommended I had to order it. He speaks from a vantage point of experience. His examples and analogies are palpable they resonate so deeply into a broken heart. I won’t spoil by sharing specifics because you must read it for yourself. He has become my new favorite writer for help and hope in dark times.
Good Catastrophe - The Tide Turning Power of Hope
Good Catastrophe - The Tide Turning Power of Hope
May 19, 2023
Really good. Not annoyingly superficial, but deep and relatable and real.
"Do you feel the ache of loneliness? Has daily life lost its joy? Have anxiety and depression necome your companions? Are circumstances overwhelming you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, be encouraged - for you are simply positioned as the perfect candidate to receive the hope that comes from God."
"Do you feel the ache of loneliness? Has daily life lost its joy? Have anxiety and depression necome your companions? Are circumstances overwhelming you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, be encouraged - for you are simply positioned as the perfect candidate to receive the hope that comes from God."
September 24, 2023
The author made a brave decision to peel back the curtain of faith and why we choose to believe. As someone living with chronic illness, I will be revisiting this book again and again in times of pain, grief, and disappointment with life. As the author wrote, "We have to get good at handling the bad."
June 27, 2024
Life As It Is Meant to be Lived and Must be lived
Life is tough. Waiting for life to improve so I can get back to living by my design is faux hope. This book teaches the reader how to have an eternal lasting hope. Highly recommend.
Life is tough. Waiting for life to improve so I can get back to living by my design is faux hope. This book teaches the reader how to have an eternal lasting hope. Highly recommend.
July 20, 2023
Great book to read when life is difficult or painful.
November 15, 2023
This book was just so-so for me.
I won a copy from Goodreads.
I won a copy from Goodreads.
December 14, 2023
5 stars - exactly what I needed right now. Beautifully written about hope without diminishing at all what you're going through.
September 5, 2025
I can’t write enough good stuff about this book - encouraged me, challenged me, just a good read as well.
July 12, 2024
To me, this quote from the book says it all: "Hope is a choice. An outlook. A posture of the soul. An attitude."
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews