The Beauty and the Horror: Searching For God In A Suffering World

by Richard Harries

Life is at once wonderful and appalling, beautiful and horrific. Although we can all give meaning to our lives by trying to live well, is there some given meaning to be discovered? Science cannot answer this question, and philosophical arguments leave the issue open. The monotheistic religions claim that the meaning has been revealed to us, and Christians see this is above all in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Described by Rowan Williams as ‘that rarity, a Christian public intellectual’, Richard Harries considers the Christian claim in the context of an in-depth discussion of the nature of evil and how this is to be reconciled with a just and loving God. Drawing on a wide range of modern literature, he argues that belief in the resurrection and hope in the face of death is fundamental to faith, and suggests that while there is no final intellectual answer to the problem of evil, we must all, believer and nonbeliever alike, protest against the world and seek to change it, rather than accept it as it is.

Genres: Christian

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 20, 2016

Reviews

[Fubzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started slowly and left me wondering who it's intended audience was, as it was rather academic in it's illustrations for the average reader. Still it raised some interesting points and was well reasoned and well argued without the arrogance of someone who believes they have all the answers. Well worth reading and genuinely insightful under all the unfamiliar literary and philosophical references.

[Samcwright · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s fine. I had hoped it would provide more insight on how Christians work through the Problem of Evil. It’s filled with beautiful poetry and prose from the great writers taking the reader on a journey from the human desire for meaning and truth to the belief in God, Christ, and how we can work through suffering. Unfortunately, I felt like the book was half-baked. It takes time (years and decades) to consolidate thoughts around this subject and create simple sentences filled with meaning. Simplicity is the greatest sophistication. The author could have likely taken a few more years to work on this book. But perhaps I’m unrealistic given the pressures of publishing and recognition.

[Amy Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harries’ refers to philosophy, art, literature and music throughout the book to extract support for the Christian argument against atheism, but not convincingly enough for me. Despite this, it is a thought-provoking and very readable book.