Chapter 2: Don’t Answer Why

In chapter two, Kapic takes on the issue of theodicy. Theodicy is the vindication of the goodness and providence of God in the face of evil. Many theodicies have been offered over the years. Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnez (1646-1716) wrote Theodicy, in which he attempted to reconcile God’s perfection with the problem of evil. Much later, John S. Feinberg devoted much of his academic career to the issue of theodicy, yet his understanding changed when his wife was diagnosed with Huntington’s chorea, a rare disease that involves the slow deterioration of nerve cells within the brain. His meticulous answers and well-researched publications, however, offered no real comfort to him in the face of such news. Instead it was the quiet presence of others around them. 

“Christians need to develop both pastoral sensitivity and theological insight if we are to help one another through trial and pain”

— Kelly M. Kapic

“They needed glimpses of God in his goodness and love, truths often only made believable through personal tenderness and gentle grace extended to them by others” (20). Kapic’s insights in chapter two are absolutely marvelous (another plug to read the book)! “Christians,” he writes, “need to develop both pastoral sensitivity and theological insight if we are to help one another through trial and pain” (24-25). This is Kapic’s answer to theodicy. He doesn’t debate the realities of evil. He doesn’t even argue for God’s existence. He assumes both and calls the church to listen and love. 

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Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering