Is It God's Will?: Making Sense of Tragedy, Luck, and Hope in a World Gone Wrong

by Brandon Ambrosino

From an acclaimed journalist and a rising star in theological academia, a provocative book about human and divine agency in an era of political extremism, climate catastrophe, and rising violence.

In the wake of two foiled assassination attempts while Donald Trump was campaigning for President, many of his supporters claimed Trump's survival was an act of Divine intervention, and a sign that Trump was favored by God. In his victory speech, Trump alluded to this. But his survival prompts other Why did God spare Trump, but not the retiree sitting behind him? Why couldn’t God have spared everyone that day? And if God is truly omnipotent, why do so many children die in gun violence every year?

To award-winning journalist and theologian Brandon Ambrosino, these mortal questions provide us with an opportunity to explore the great questions about Divine and human agency, especially in relation to human tragedy and a world that seems to be slipping into chaos. In this powerful and searching enquiry—in the vein of N.T. Wright and C.S. Lewis— Ambrosino argues that theologians have been poorly equipped to confront these questions, because many hang on to an omnipotent model of God. Exploring the daily tragedies that so many of us must contend—as well as a provocative and challenging reading of Christ’s death and resurrection—Ambrosino provides us with the tools to understand and process grief but also presents a refreshing portrait of less a God of power, and more of one of persuasion, who can still provide a residue of hope in a world gone wrong.

224 pages, Hardcover

Published September 9, 2025

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ambrosino takes on the challenge of the age old problems of "If God is omnipotent, why doesn't s/he do something about all the tragedies in the world?" And "If God is omniscient, then why doesn't s/he stop bad things from happening before they do?" Even though the author is a committed Christian, he doesn't follow the traditional line that God is omni - but considers our understanding of God to be limited, changing, & hopeful, in spite of the problems of life in this world. Parts of the book were a challenge to follow, but it was thought provoking and stressed the idea of living without answers to all of our questions.

[John Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Readable, but more interested in deconstruction than reconstruction; the reflections on the Flood and Psalm 82 are engaging but ultimately leave the author in territory that's correctly understood as heretical (that God is dependent on creation and simply doing his best to redeem our sins).