When Bad Things Happen to Good People

Harold S. Kushner (1935-2023) was a Conservative Jewish rabbi and scholar with a background in theology and pastoral care, and is best known for writing When Bad Things Happen to Good People, a book that aims to help people cope with undeserved misfortune. He wrote the book as a way of coming to terms with own experience with tragedy when his young son, Aaron, was diagnosed with progeria, a rare genetic condition that causes accelerated aging and premature death. Kushner's reflections on his grief are deeply personal, and he openly grapples with classical questions of theodicy: namely, the question of how a benevolent God could allow suffering to exist in the world. He acknowledges that even the community members who seek his guidance have asked him this question in various forms, and with his writing, he draws upon his rabbinical background to frame answers to these spiritual questions and appeal to readers who hold a Judeo-Christian perspective. Kushner’s ideas are also influenced by modern psychology and ethical philosophy, and he uses these disciplines to create practical interpretations of biblical texts and adopt a compassionate stance toward the inevitability of human suffering.

Overall, Kushner’s long years of dedication to pastoral work render him a reasonable authority on the topics he addresses, and his own intense experience with the decline of his son add layers of depth and sincerity to his message. Notably, his work does not seek to defend religious dogma; instead, he works to comfort people like himself, who find themselves in the grip of a spiritual crisis. However, as part of his solution to the existential question of why a just God could allow misfortunes to occur, he makes the controversial assertion that God is not omnipotent: a stance that directly challenges traditional conceptions of divine power. For this reason, readers with a more traditionally dogmatic or orthodox worldview may take issue with his premises. Still, this reimagining allows Kushner to articulate a God of presence rather than a deity dedicated to control, and this concept is designed to resonate with many contemporary spiritual seekers. His insights are grounded in both scholarship and lived pain, and his book serves as a guide for people who are struggling to overcome grief, religious doubt, or other forms of existential suffering.