Book Summary - By Stephen Goode


Satan and the Problem of Evil - Constructing a Trinitarian Warfare Theodicy
by Gregory A. Boyd

This is a book that requires a lot of thinking and reflection. It was helpful to have a dictionary close at hand. Dr. Boyd continues on from “God at War” but takes a closer look at the classical positions and what it means for God to be “in control”, freedom and the origin of evil, risk and the sovereignty of God to mention a few. This book is premised on six foundations that structure this trinitarian warfare theodicy and how God interacts with this world as well as their implementation;

1. Love must be freely chosen.
2. Love entails risks.
3. Love and freedom entails that we are morally responsible for one another.
4. The power to influence for the worse must be roughly proportionate to our power to influence for the better.
5. Love entails freedom and this freedom, within limits, must be irrevocable.
6. Angels and humans are finite beings who thus possess only a finite capacity to embrace or thwart God’s purposes for our lives.

He spends quite a bit of time discussing the open view of the future but whether you agree with his position or not one has to grapple personally with the warfare worldview of Scripture and the trinitarian warfare theodicy on its own merits. It is well worth the effort. This is another book that is a resource to be returned to often. I highly recommend it.

G. Stephen Goode
Bangkok, Thailand

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