The Beauty and the Horror
Searching For God In A Suffering World
Format:Hardback
Publisher:SPCK Publishing
Published:20th Oct '16
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Life is at once wonderful and appalling, beautiful and horrific. How can we live with this contradiction? And how can we believe in a just and loving God in the face of all the evils of the world in which we have evolved?
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.
For anyone who is fascinated by the phenomenon of religion, this is a deeply interesting book. * Mary Warnock DBE, FBA, FMedSci *
In a world so obviously imperfect and bearing no obvious hallmarks of purpose, the challenges facing Christianity are severe. Richard Harries is one of those who realise that and takes the challenges seriously. Those of us who are not in the end persuaded by his Christian defence can nonetheless appreciate the sensitivity and intelligence with which it is mounted. It is the best case that could be made. * Andrew Copson, Director of the British Humanist Society *
Mingling intellectual rigour with spiritual wisdom, Harries helps his readers to grasp the relevance of the insights at the core of the Christian faith. * Alister E. McGrath, Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion, University of Oxford *
With all his characteristic clarity of thought, Richard Harries probes how we can find God in suffering and horror as well as beauty. . . The result is a profound statement of what it means to have faith in the living tradition of Christianity, guided by hope and love.’ * Jane Shaw, Dean for Religious Life and Professor of Religious Studies, Stanford University *
The Beauty and the Horror is the most compelling exploration of suffering in the world that I have ever read. . . Written with grace and clarity, this is a book of rare power – such that, once you have finished it, you know you have been changed. * Ian S. Markham, Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary *
A heartening book, confronting the hardest questions with wide knowledge and deep wisdom. * John Carey, Emeritus Merton Professor of English Literature, University of Oxford, and Chief Literary Reviewer for the Sunday Times *
ISBN: 9780281076932
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 560g
240 pages