This study of Professor William Rowe's defense of atheism on the basis
of evil assesses the literature that has developed in response to Rowe's
work, closely examining two strategies: mystery - the idea that God may
have reasons beyond our comprehension for permitting evil; and
theodicy - explanations as to why God allows evil to flourish. The book
unearths difficulties in both, concluding that the God of theism must be
"beyond belief."