Pharos Journal of Theology ISSN 2414-3324 online Volume 102 - (2021) Copyright: ©2021 Open Access/Author/s - Online @ http//: www.pharosjot.com 1 The Place and Meaning of Suffering in Evangelical Theology 1 Prof. Dr Godfrey Harold Cape Town Baptist Seminary Research Associate, Stellenbosch University Email: godfrey@ctbs.org.za https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6609-9651 Abstract The Evangelical view of God is rooted in Orthodox Theology. The article posits that it is within the classical understanding of God that Christians can find their best resources for dealing with the problem of evil from theological, practical and even philosophical perspectives. The present suffering that COVID-19 has brought to the world requires us to answer the question, ‘what on earth is God doing?’ With over two million officially recorded deaths in the world and over 63000 deaths in South Africa, the present suffering requires an investigation on one of the most serious objections to a belief in a loving God. In this article, attention is given to how Evangelicals understand the implications, meaning and relevance of suffering. In developing a theology and meaning of suffering, I propose the approach that is rooted in the classical understanding of God is best suited to address this dilemma. Focusing on the works of Augustine, and Evangelical theologians, an Evangelical Theology on the meaning and relevance of human suffering which includes suffering as non-punitive and punitive is developed by concluding that God allows evil and punishment for development and discipline. Keywords: God, evangelical, non-punitive suffering, punitive evil, evangelical, meaning Introduction The problem of evil is regarded as one of the most severe objections to theism and Christianity. In The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoyevsky (2019:215) states, “the earth is soaked from its crust to the centre with the tears of humanity”. The cries of humanity have constantly been a challenge to the church to reconcile the attributes of God’s knowledge, power and goodness with all the suffering in the world. Richard Dawkins, an atheist, would use the suffering of this world to conclude that there is no God. In trying to deal with the problem of evil, Boyd, in his book Is God To Blame? (2003: 21) asserts: “The most important aspect of faith is our mental picture of God. The way we envision God may be reflected in the theology we articulate.” In articulating a picture of a limited God, open theism leaves suffering people with a God who is not cannot deal adequately with evil and suffering. This image thus distorts the concept of God. In this article, I shall discourse with Augustine, Evangelical theologians and Scripture to develop an Evangelical Theology on the meaning and relevance of human suffering which includes suffering as non-punitive and punitive. 1 Part of the article is formulated from my PhD under the supervision of Prof. E Conradie, University of Western Cape.