The Puzzles and Hard Problems of Faith
@ Memorial Presbyterian Church's Auditorium, Sundays 9:15am–10:15am, March 22–May 17, 2026
Address: 201 Skinker Blvd
@ Memorial Presbyterian Church's Auditorium, Sundays 9:15am–10:15am, March 22–May 17, 2026
Address: 201 Skinker Blvd
Description
Why should we pray if God already knows what we want? Can God make a stone so heavy that he can't lift it? How can Jesus Christ be both God and man? These are all examples of difficult puzzles and problems that beset us as Christians. Thinking carefully about these difficult questions is important and edifying for several reasons: Having thoughtful responses to these questions can help us to have effective dialogue with non-Christians and describe what Christians believe with clarity. Thinking about these questions also offers us a chance to learn more about what God is like and to work out the implications of God's love for us. In this adult education class, we will take on some of the puzzles and hard problems of the Christian faith. Each week, we will discuss a different puzzle or hard problem. We will think about what some Christian scholars have said about each problem. We will conclude each lesson with a discussion of how answers to these problems and puzzles inform our faith practically.
Schedule
March 22: Introduction & Logic Basics — Jacob Huls & Jake Zimbelman
March 29: How can a good God allow people to go to Hell forever? The problem of hell — Jake Zimbelman
April 12: Can God make a stone so heavy that he can’t lift it? The puzzles of God’s power, knowledge, and goodness —Jacob Huls & Jake Zimbelman
April 19: Why ask God for things he already knows you want? The puzzles and problems of petitionary prayer — Jacob Huls & Jake Zimbelman
April 26: The Problem of Divine Hiddenness — Joel Cox
May 3: Would heaven be boring? Puzzles for eternal life — Jake Zimbelman
May 10: Why does God allow evil? Can we know why God allows evil? –Jacob Huls & Jake Zimbelman
May 17: Problem of Evil again – Jacob Huls & Jake Zimbelman