John Wesley on Suffering and God’s Justice: The General Deliverance with Jerome Van Kuiken

2025-08-26

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jerome Van Kuiken (Oklahoma Wesleyan University) to discuss John Wesley’s profound sermon "The General Deliverance." This sermon tackles one of the hardest questions in Christian theology: How can a just and loving God respond to a world filled with unjust suffering? Wesley’s reflections on one aspect of the problem of evil. He argues that God’s justice and mercy extend not only to humanity but to all creation (including animals), offering a hopeful vision of redemption and renewal. In our conversation, Dr. V...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jerome Van Kuiken (Oklahoma Wesleyan University) to discuss John Wesley’s profound sermon "The General Deliverance."

This sermon tackles one of the hardest questions in Christian theology: How can a just and loving God respond to a world filled with unjust suffering? Wesley’s reflections on one aspect of the problem of evil. He argues that God’s justice and mercy extend not only to humanity but to all creation (including animals), offering a hopeful vision of redemption and renewal.

In our conversation, Dr. Van Kuiken unpacks Wesley’s approach to theodicy, the question of suffering in Christian thought, and the ultimate hope of God’s deliverance for both people and the created order.

We also talk about John Wesley's influence on C. S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain and the Chronicles of Narnia.

👉 Whether you’re a pastor, theologian, or simply wrestling with the question of evil and suffering, this discussion offers rich theological insight and practical hope.

🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of theology, Scripture, and contemporary issues.

Books by Jerome Van Kuiken

The Creed We Need: Nicene Faith for Wesleyan Witness

The Judas We Never Knew: A Study on the Life and Letter of Jude

Read "The General Deliverance" by John Wesley

https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-60-the-general-deliverance/

Did John Wesley's eschatology develop from heaven to new creation? Randy Maddox takes up that question in Responsible Grace, pages 252-253. Get it here: https://amzn.to/4mXdrhZ

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