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JAMES L. CRENSHAW, Defending God: Biblical Responses to the Problem of Evil (New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005). Pp. x + 275. $35.
A dynamic that permeates much of the Bible is the struggle to balance the qualities of divine justice and mercy. This struggle becomes particularly acute when it appears that innocent people are suffering. Then theodicy becomes a pressing question. The very title of this book suggests the position taken by many believers who try to defend God in such inexplicable situations. In this collection of essays, some of which were initially published elsewhere, James L. Crenshaw shows that the Bible provides various answers to this question, all of which may be considered acceptable, none of which is considered completely adequate.
The book is divided into three parts. Part 1, "Spreading the Blame Around," includes the following essays: "The Atheistic Answer: Abandoning the Quest" (pp. 25-44); "Alternative Gods: Falling Back on a Convenient Worldview" (pp. 45-54); "A Demon at Work: Letting Benevolence Slip" (pp. 55-74). Here C. addresses what is sometimes referred to as "practical atheism." He treats psalms that criticize unbelieving fools and those who pay homage to several...