Nicholas Wolterstorff's *Lament for a Son* is by far the best of this genre. Surprised it was left out.

Good article but please don't put Piper's work at the top of the page. I suspect that his (not all Christians) idea that God ordains evil is enough to make many never even want to finish the page.

Have read 3 of the 5. Sittser's is excellent. Can't believe you didn't include Walter Wangerin's "Mourning Into Dancing" - it's beautiful and helpful.

My wife died of a sudden heart attack at 45 and the autopsy could reveal no cause at all, she appeared to be in great health. God provided a very "soft landing" for me and my 4 children. This could not be anything other than his plan, as hard as it has been. Whether you vote for his allowing it or planning it, it still works out to my need of His work in my life and the lives of my children. Six years, no definitive answers, major disappointments, and yet many, many things to show us that He prepared for this and has provided for some major needs in ways that can only be said to be His doing. I have read several of these books and many others- Sittser is particularly good for me because his situation is similar, though much more difficult and I really enjoyed his book on the Will of God. Another excellent book is David Jeremiah's "A Turn in the Road", on scripture addressing hard things in life. Many books specifically dealing with grief did not seem that helpful.

To Ckgould.Your questions are good ones. I don't want to come across as a know-it-all, as I realize that the area we are discussing has been debated by great Christians through the centuries. However, to answer your questions: "If God does not...cause terrible events to occur, are you suggesting then that God is caught by surprise? That he does not see the terrible collision about to occur? That he passively waits to see what messes he'll have to set right?" Answer: God's foreknowlege of events does not necessitate God's causation of them. God does limit His intervention, and part of the reason for that is God's desire to let humans operate with an appropriate degree of freedom. You further suggest that if God does not always intervene to either cause or prevent a tragedy, then He is somehow less than God. I would say that God has given humans freedom primarily so that people can choose freely to love God. God is sovereign, but God doesn't CAUSE every event that occurs.