Disability and the Problem of Evil
Living life with a disability can be difficult. It can be so difficult that many have asked the question, "Why me, God?" In this work, Schmoll unpacks what has been termed the problem of evil as it relates to disability from a theologically conservative, Evangelical perspective. Bringing together the seemingly disparate fields of disability studies, church history, and philosophy, he considers what it means to have a disability, how prominent theologians have addressed disability, and how to reconcile the problem of evil itself. Disability raises complex questions, but Schmoll offers a compassionate and compelling response, blending personal experience with academic study, to the charge that an all-knowing, all-good, all-powerful God could not allow something like disability in the world.
Endorsements
“Disability and the Problem of Evil is a gracious and concise treatment of an incredibly sensitive issue. Written from an insider’s perspective, it offers valuable personal insights without sacrificing objectivity in the philosophical aspects of the discussion. Schmoll has given us a wonderful tool for improving our thinking and conversations on the problem of evil and suffering, and I expect it will also be a tremendous blessing to individuals seeking a better theological understand in of their own disability or that of a loved one.”
Melissa Cain Travis, Ph.D., Affiliate Faculty, Colorado Christian University
“Books on the problem of evil abound, and it is doubtful any will ever surpass C. S. Lewis’s The Problem of Pain. But in Disability and the Problem of Evil, Zak Schmoll makes a significant contribution to the discussion. Suffering from a debilitating disease that has confined him to a wheelchair, Schmoll offers a treatment that views the problem of evil from the standpoint of disability. His own history gives him a fresh perspective as he surveys the standard approaches to see if he can justify belief in a good and omnipotent God in a world containing disability. He concludes that ‘for the Christian, the ultimate hope of the world was delivered in the person of Jesus Christ. Being a member of the human race, a privileged species created in the image of God, with the ability to have a relationship with our Creator, is a blessing unsurpassed in the remainder of the universe.’ If you want to see a credible way to get to that place without closing your eyes to the reality of disability in this world, this is a book you will definitely want to read.”
Donald T. Williams, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Toccoa Falls College, Past President, International Society of Christian Apologetics
“In his valuable book, Dr. Schmoll tackles an underexamined aspect of problem of evil. He helps us understand disability personally and theologically in order to see how God is good to us despite the prevalence of evil. This is an important contribution to the theodicy conversation.”
Phil Tallon, Ph.D. Dean, School of Christian Thought, Houston Baptist University
“Do we really need another book on the problem of evil? When it is discussed within the context of disabilities, there is a great need. Some see the existence of human disabilities as refuting the idea of an all-powerful and all-good God. Zachary Schmoll comes at this question with both a keen theological mind and as a person with lived experience of a disability. He convincingly demonstrates that both the traditional conception of God and the existence of human disabilities are completely compatible.”
Stephen J. Bedard, Pastor, Queen Street Baptist Church, St. Catherines, Ontario, Author of How to Make Your Church Autism-Friendly
