GOOD GOD, LOUSY WORLD, AND ME : The Improbable Journey of a Human Rights Activist from Unbelief to Faith

A winsome conversion story for readers of David Platt from a longtime crusader for international human rights who unexpectedly meets a loving God in the crucible of human suffering.

In a world awash in evil, the author unexpectedly finds herself on a faith journey--from skeptic to atheist to believer. Says Burkhalter, "I wrote the book to answer the question that kept me from believing for almost my entire adult life: why does a good God allow such suffering on earth?" Holly's riveting story unfolds in the grip of its soul-rending question, and it will resonate with a generation of globally oriented, social activists--agnostic and evangelical alike. She brings to the page the voice of a heartbroken idealist who is fearlessly, often angrily, sometimes hilariously at odds with a cruel and distant God. He is a Being she "doesn't believe in," of course, until the day she finds herself drawn into a community of fellow activists who actually love, worship and serve this same God. Holly's style is witty, thoughtful, literate and deeply affecting and every very chapter deals with topics that stay in the news—genocide, violence to women, hunger, refugees, human trafficking and injustice. Holly's story follows in the rich tradition of C. S. Lewis, Merton, Van Auken and Bono, all of whom experienced a dramatic spiritual turnaround and are gifted at conveying their intellectual struggle to those still outside the fold. Holly Burkhalter has had a long career with Human Rights Watch and currently leads an initiative to end human trafficking. She has been published frequently in Foreign Affairs, the New York Times, LA Times, and Washington Post. She is married with two children and lives in Washington D.C.