The Transforming God: An Interpretation of Suffering and Evil

Rating:
Summary: Great intro to the theodicy (evil) problem
Review: I used this book in a seminary class on theodicy along with two other books. By far, Inbody does the best job at presenting the many ways to look at evil in God's creation. Especially interesting was how the book takes views of evil and demonstrates how this defines our view of God. Some of the definitions were uncomfortable at best and really made me think about my belief in an all-knowing, all-powerful God. A definite weakness is the abrupt movement to the concluding chapter (the author told me his editor cut out the next-to-last chapter to make the book shorter). Inbody is definately coming from a process theology view in this book, but does so in a wonderful, fair, and comprehansive way. It's the first time I really saw much value in process theology.

Rating:
Summary: Great intro to the theodicy (evil) problem
Review: I used this book in a seminary class on theodicy along with two other books. By far, Inbody does the best job at presenting the many ways to look at evil in God's creation. Especially interesting was how the book takes views of evil and demonstrates how this defines our view of God. Some of the definitions were uncomfortable at best and really made me think about my belief in an all-knowing, all-powerful God. A definite weakness is the abrupt movement to the concluding chapter (the author told me his editor cut out the next-to-last chapter to make the book shorter). Inbody is definately coming from a process theology view in this book, but does so in a wonderful, fair, and comprehansive way. It's the first time I really saw much value in process theology.

Rating:
Summary: An adequate theodicy amidst numerous inadequate ones
Review: The radical suffering of both individuals and groups has become a major preoccupation for many sensitive people. The experience of radical suffering, coupled with the notion that God is both omnipotent and omnibenevolent, provides the basis for the problem of evil. When considering the problem in The Transforming God: An Interpretation of Suffering and Evil, Tyron L. Inbody suggests that a reconception of divine power is necessary if an adequate theodicy is to be constructed. A reconception is necessary not only to escape the temptation to worship abusive power but, perhaps more important, so that contemporaries may find, formulate, respond to, depend on, and celebrate a power of creation, redemption, and transformation in the midst of radical suffering. This book is an important contribution to the literature of theodicy. It will be especially helpful for those who intend to assume positions of leadership in the Christian tradition because it guides readers through a myriad of possible theodicies revealing each one's strengths and weaknesses. Inbody notes that his reflection and preparation for this book was shaped by discussions with the seminarians he teaches. This helps explain why the book is much more accessible than many scholarly books -- even when the author wrestles through the complex arguments offered by various philosophers of religion. For these and other reasons, The Transforming God should assume a prominent place among texts to be read by those -- whether seminarians, pastors, college students, or laypersons -- who grapple with radical suffering and the problem of evil. The theodicy outlined here is an adequate one amidst, as the author reveals in his exploration of them, numerous inadequate ones. Thomas Jay Oord

Rating:
Summary: An adequate theodicy amidst numerous inadequate ones
Review: The radical suffering of both individuals and groups has become a major preoccupation for many sensitive people. The experience of radical suffering, coupled with the notion that God is both omnipotent and omnibenevolent, provides the basis for the problem of evil. When considering the problem in The Transforming God: An Interpretation of Suffering and Evil, Tyron L. Inbody suggests that a reconception of divine power is necessary if an adequate theodicy is to be constructed. A reconception is necessary not only to escape the temptation to worship abusive power but, perhaps more important, so that contemporaries may find, formulate, respond to, depend on, and celebrate a power of creation, redemption, and transformation in the midst of radical suffering. This book is an important contribution to the literature of theodicy. It will be especially helpful for those who intend to assume positions of leadership in the Christian tradition because it guides readers through a myriad of possible theodicies revealing each one's strengths and weaknesses. Inbody notes that his reflection and preparation for this book was shaped by discussions with the seminarians he teaches. This helps explain why the book is much more accessible than many scholarly books -- even when the author wrestles through the complex arguments offered by various philosophers of religion. For these and other reasons, The Transforming God should assume a prominent place among texts to be read by those -- whether seminarians, pastors, college students, or laypersons -- who grapple with radical suffering and the problem of evil. The theodicy outlined here is an adequate one amidst, as the author reveals in his exploration of them, numerous inadequate ones. Thomas Jay Oord