Description
This course will define the classic problem of evil and suffering, seeking to explore whether an all-powerful, infinitely good God is compatible with a world full of tragedy and pain. Defending a strong biblical position of providential sovereignty and divine benevolence, answers to the problem will encompass both the inscrutability of God’s ways and specific theodicies to account for God’s use of evil and suffering in a world he created and loves. Practical ways we can demonstrate the grace and mercy of Christ will follow from this perspective.
Instructor: John Witt
Class Dates: Wednesdays, August 5 - September 30, 2026
Time: 6:30-7:30PM
Location: Long Hollow Hendersonville, Room 144 (Virtual Option Available)
Last day to register: August 14, 2026
Cost: $99 plus required texts
Required Text(s):
Welty, Greg. 40 Questions about Suffering and Evil. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2024.
(*See alternative book below.)
Wolterstorff, Nicholas. Lament for a Son. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987.
Burk, Denny, John G. Stackhouse, Robin A. Parry, Jerry L. Walls, and Preston Sprinkle (general editor). Four Views on Hell, 2nd edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016.
Readings from all books are selective (not the entire book).
*For those who want to read a bit less, there is an alternative shorter Greg Welty book, listed below. Students may read this one instead, but will incur a modest reduction in their reading attestation points.
Welty, Greg. Why is There Evil in the World (And So Much of It)? Glasgow, UK: Christian Focus, 2018.
Campus
Hendersonville, Online