When Bad Things Happen to Good People (1981)

by Harold S. Kushner

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New Age. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. Self Help. Offers a moving and humane approach to understanding life's windstorms.Raises many questions that will challenge your mind and test your faith regarding the ultimate questions of life and death.

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Where Is God When It Hurts? by Philip Yancey (2wonderY)
2wonderY: Kushner's book just commiserates, Yancey offers a more uplifting message. He has studied pain and sorrow and tries to make sense of it.

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Another beautiful book Rabbi Kushner (

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Moshepit20 | Nov 2, 2023 |

Good religous book about adversity and why it happens. (

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kslade | Dec 8, 2022 |

Straightforward, elegant contemplation of the doubts and fears that arise when tragedy strikes.

BLTSbraille | Oct 22, 2021 |

This is a lovely tribute to and meditation on grief, with some profound thoughts. He often gets down to the core of our discomfort with the mental and emotional process of grief. Though I disagree with some minor points, I love the layers and nuances in his text. (

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OutOfTheBestBooks | Sep 24, 2021 |

Read this some years ago and thought it was one of the very best expositions of emotional pain & the role of God in our lives.
Written by a rabbi pondering the life-long disease that lead to the death of his son at age 14. (

)

librisissimo | May 11, 2021 |

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New York Times bestseller (General – 1982)

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Canonical title

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

Original title

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

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Original publication date

1981

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Harold S. Kushner

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Epigraph

And David said: While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me and the child will live. But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me. (II Samuel 12:22-23)

Dedication

In Memory of Aaron Zev Kushner
1963-1977

First words

There is only one question which really matters: why do bad things happen to good people?

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When Bad Things Happen to Good People

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New Age. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. Self Help. Offers a moving and humane approach to understanding life's windstorms.Raises many questions that will challenge your mind and test your faith regarding the ultimate questions of life and death.

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