Even in this day and age, workplace discrimination based on race, gender, or age affects many Americans. When such discrimination happens within government agencies, it's all the more shocking. When those who face discrimination are the very men and women tasked with protecting fellow Americans from crime, someone must take a stand. FBI Special Agent Bernardo "Mat" Perez fought back against bureaucratic FBI officials after witnessing and being subjected to bias, prejudice, and discrimination. He gathered 310 other Hispanic FBI agents and filed a discrimination lawsuit that ended in a landmark decision in favor of the agents. Despite intimidation, false information, and a culture of strict loyalty, the Hispanic agents proved their collective case-and the transparent changes improved the job satisfaction, security, and advancement prospects for all FBI agents and Hispanic law enforcement officers throughout the United States. Samuel C. Martinez joined Perez's lawsuit. His new book, Systemic Evil, is an exposé of the FBI's "good ol' boy" discrimination against Hispanic agents. The book meets an intellectual challenge to the discussion of discrimination and reminds us of the realities of prejudice in America, as well as the power of collective will to make positive changes.

One of those rare questions in philosophy that is not only technically recalcitrant but also engages the hearts and minds of the broad community is the so-called 'problem of evil': How can the existence of an absolutely perfect God be reconciled with the existence of suffering and evil? This collection of dialogues between eight philosophers of religion explores new ways of thinking about this longstanding problem, in the process reorienting and reinvigorating the philosophical debate around the relationship between God, goodness and evil: How exactly are these three notions connected, if at all? Is God the cause, or author, of evil and suffering? How is the goodness of God to be understood, and how is divine goodness related to human morality? Does God's perfect goodness entail that God must have reasons for permitting or bringing about suffering, and if so what could his reasons be? These questions are of momentous existential and theoretical interest, and they have exercised the finest intellects across the centuries. The time is ripe for a wholesale reconsideration of the problem of evil. To make progress towards this goal, eight distinct perspectives are placed in mutual dialogue, giving voice to both traditional and relatively unorthodox approaches. What emerges from these critical but friendly exchanges is a diversity of fruitful and innovative ways of thinking about the nature of divinity and its relationship to evil.

This book explores theological anthropology - the doctrine of what it means to be human and to be created in God's image. Fernandez argues that our life in the image of God is damaged and frustrated by the systemic evil of society, particularly the four radical evils of classism, racism, sexism, and naturism (destructive practices against the ecosystem). At the heart of these four evils are matters of faith and idolatry - worshiping human constructs and living under the lie of false securities. Idols demand the sacrifice of our souls, bodies, time, and anything that we cherish most.

Suffering and evil affect us all, both at a general level, as we look at a world filled with injustice, natural disasters and poverty, and at a personal level, as we experience grief, pain and unfairness. And how we think about and process the reality of pain is at the heart of why many people reject God. Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing is no stranger to pain and gives a heartfelt yet academically rigorous examination of how different belief systems deal with the problem of pain. She explains the unique answer that is found in Christ and how he can give us hope in the reality of suffering. This empathetic, easy-to-read and powerful evangelistic book is good for both unbelievers and believers alike. It will help those hoping to answer one of life’s biggest questions as well as those who are either suffering personally or comforting others.

The problem of evil has long perplexed traditional theists: Why do terrible events, such as crimes, wars, and natural disasters, occur in a world believed to be created by an omnipotent and wholly good God? In The Problem of Evil for Atheists, Yujin Nagasawa offers a fresh perspective that seeks to transform the perennial philosophical debate on this matter. The book contends that the problem of evil surpasses its conventional understanding, impacting not only traditional theists but also posing a challenge for atheists and other 'non-theists', including pantheists, axiarchists, and followers of Eastern religious traditions. Moreover, it posits that traditional theists, who typically embrace some form of supernaturalism, are better equipped to address the problem than naturalist atheists/non-theists because the only potentially successful response requires supernaturalism. Conversely, it suggests that if atheists/non-theists can develop a successful naturalist response, traditional theists can also adopt it. The volume concludes that traditional theists are better positioned than atheists/non-theists to grapple with the problem-an unexpected assertion, given that the problem of evil is normally viewed as an argument against traditional theism and in favour of atheism/non-theism. The Problem of Evil for Atheists presents a comprehensive defence of a fundamentally new approach to tackling the age-old philosophical conundrum. By challenging the conventional perspective, it endeavours to reshape our understanding and interpretation of evil in a profound manner. An open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence.

Early Modern Women and the Problem of Evil examines the concept of theodicy—the attempt to reconcile divine perfection with the existence of evil—through the lens of early modern female scholars. This timely volume knits together the perennial problem of defining evil with current scholarly interest in women’s roles in the evolution of religious philosophy. Accessible for those without a background in philosophy or theology, Jill Graper Hernandez’s text will be of interest to upper-level undergraduates as well as graduate students and researchers.

For much of Christian history, greater focus has been paid to Jesus’ death than to his three years of ministry, and his crucifixion has often been understood primarily as a means to salvation in heaven. But retired pastor Tim Lehman contends that we’ve drastically missed the point by not looking closely at and learning from Jesus’ words and actions before his death. As a result, we lose out on the joy and freedom of living fully as his disciples and experiencing salvation already in this life on earth. In this broad study of Matthew’s Gospel, Lehman challenges readers to view Jesus’ death in light of his life. He urges us not just to believe in Jesus, but to believe Jesus—to take seriously all that he taught and how he lived. As Lehman leads readers along a carefully laid path, Christians and non-Christians alike will have to rethink long-held assumptions: the place of violence in the Christian life; the givenness of division in our modern world; the meaning of “atonement,” “salvation,” and “the kingdom of heaven”; and more. But along the way, we are sure to learn, grow, and, hopefully, come to know more deeply God’s unconditional love for all.