The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith

Christopher J. H. Wright

Zondervan, May 26, 2009 - Religion - 224 pages

Many Christians believe that they have to understand everything about their faith for that faith to be genuine. This isn't true.

There are many things we don't understand about God, His Word, and His works. And this is actually one of the greatest things about the Christian faith: that there are areas of mystery that lie beyond the keenest scholarship or even the most profound spiritual exercises. Sadly, for many people these problems raise so many questions and uncertainties that faith itself becomes a struggle.

But questions, and even doubts, are part of faith.

Chris Wright encourages us to face the limitations of our understanding and to acknowledge the pain and grief they can often cause. In The God I Don't Understand, he focuses on four of the most mysterious subjects in the Bible and reflects upon why it's important to ask questions without having to provide the answer:

1. The problem of evil and suffering.
2. The genocide of the Canaanites.
3. The cross and the crucifixion.
4. The end of the world.

"However strongly we believe in divine revelation, we must acknowledge both that God has not revealed everything and that much of what he has revealed is not plain. It is because Dr. Wright confronts biblical problems with a combination of honesty and humility that I warmly commend this book." —John Stott

Contents

• Foreword: 11
• What about Evil and Suffering?: 25
• What about the Canaanites?: 73
• What about the Cross?: 109
• What about the End of the World?: 159
• The Great Climax: 173
• The New Beginning: 193
• Conclusion: 217

About the author

Dr. Christopher J. H. Wright is Global Ambassador for the Langham Partnership International. His many books include Hearing the Message of Ecclesiastes, Hearing the Message of Daniel, Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God, Deuteronomy (Understanding the Bible Commentary), Salvation Belongs to Our God, The Mission of God, The God I Don't Understand, and The Mission of God's People. Chris and his wife Liz, who have four adult children and eleven grandchildren, live in London, UK, and belong to All Souls Church, Langham Place.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
• Author: Christopher J. H. Wright
• Contributor: John R. W. Stott
• Publisher: Zondervan, 2009
• ISBN: 0310574358, 9780310574354
• Length: 224 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Biblical Studies / Bible Study Guides; Religion / Biblical Studies / New Testament / Revelation; Religion / Biblical Studies / Old Testament / Prophets; Religion / Christian Theology / Soteriology