Beliefnet.com is hosting a fine “blogalogue” between Bart Ehrman and N. T. Wright on the problem of suffering. Ehrman, as you may know, has published the most recent installment in his series that might be called: “A Popular Scholar’s Attempt to Get People to Stop Being Christians.” This book is: God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question–Why We Suffer. I have not read this book yet, but, given what I’ve read of what Ehrman has said about it, it certainly doesn’t break any new ground. But Ehrman has the attention of the secular media (like NPR), and he’s an engaging writer (for a scholar). So God’s Problem will surely sell plenty of copies. (Photo: Bart Ehrman)
I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have “blogaloguing” with Erhman than N. T. Wright. In this conversation, Ehrman is way out of his league, theologicially. More importantly, however, Wright’s approach to suffering takes seriously the biblical narrative of salvation.
Here’s what we have so far in the “blogalogue”:

Ehrman: How the Problem of Pain Ruined My Faith
Wright: God’s Plan to Rescue Us
Ehrman: What About the Actual Suffering?
Wright: What It Looks Like When God Runs the World