The Roots of Evil

by Norman Geisler

"Book Abstract: In this book, various philosophical options are proposed to answer the apparent contradictions between the existence of evil and God. An analysis is made of such systems as illusionism, dualism, finitism, sadism, impossiblism, athiesm, and theism. Biblical theism is then evaluated for its ability to answer some of the major questions in the areas of metaphysical, moral, and physical evil."

Only about 40 pages of this short book are devoted to analyzing the various systems listed in the abstract. The vast majority of it is devoted to the theistic answer to evil (which only makes sense, as Geisler is a theist).

The Roots of Evil is a very interesting and thought provoking read, but it probably isn't for everyone. If philosophy gives you a headache, this one definitely isn't for you. Much of this book is based on various philosophical arguments, and proving the various tenets of each either true or false.

If you love philosophy or are doing a study on the problem of evil, you'll probably want to pick this one up. It doesn't solve all the problems, but Geisler's methodical approach to examining each option is beneficial, and this small volume will give you something to think about.

The Editors do not advocate everything taught by the authors of the books we review. Like us, these authors are fallible humans and those who choose to read these books should measure them by the bible, the one true standard.