Unspeakable : facing up to the challenge of evil by Os Guinness
HarperOne, 2005 238 pages £13 ISBN 978 0 060 833 008
Evil is a fact of everyday life and, as the publisher’s blurb puts it, ‘we live in the most murderous hundred years in history and we are the first generation to witness every human atrocity and every natural disaster as they happen’.
If this is really so (and who can doubt it ?), Os Guinness’s exploration and examination in detail is timely and thorough.
Richly illustrated with examples from history – ancient, classical, recent and contemporary, Accompanied with quotes from philosophers, historians and eyewitnesses, the author says pretty much all that needs to be or can be said about evil, but wisely avoids the sticky question of the origin of evil and avers that it is an unfathomable mystery.
It is enough, surely, that we simply recognise the very present, awful reality of the evil in our world which is lodged, to a greater or lesser extent, in the heart, mind and spirit of all humankind.
Responses to evil from eastern religions, from humanists, atheists and existentialists are given fair voice.
At the end of the day, while it might well prove difficult to find a satisfactory answer to the origin of evil, more practical is to harness the wherewithal to counteract evil and its malign effects and to apply practical measures to help those afflicted by it with energy and determination.
With clear Christian conviction, Os Guinness offers the Biblical vision for confronting the existence of evil in our world, refusing to side with those who even deny that evil exists.
Os Guinness is always worth reading for his courageous honesty and the breadth of his reading and research.