Habakkuk’s Tragedy: God’s Role When the Unimaginable Happens
Habakkuk’s Tragedy: God’s Role When the Unimaginable Happens
In an age when personal and collective suffering seems ever-present, Allan R. Snodgrass’s Habakkuk’s Tragedy: God’s Role When the Unimaginable Happens offers a deeply considered Christian response to one of life’s most pressing questions: Where is God when tragedy strikes? At approximately 60,000 words, this work uses the Old Testament book of Habakkuk as a lens through which to explore honest lament, divine sovereignty, and redemptive hope amid profound pain. Snodgrass, a pastor and theologian with extensive ministry experience, writes with both scholarly care and pastoral tenderness, making this volume a valuable companion for believers walking through grief.
Overview and Flow of the Book
The book unfolds in a logical, progressive manner that mirrors Habakkuk’s own journey from anguished questioning to defiant trust. It begins with an extended introduction that defines tragedy as a worldview-shattering event and presents four interpretive perspectives on the prophet’s message: the Enlightened Rationalist (tragedy as divine judgment), the Social Justice Advocate (a call to resist oppression), the Eschatologist (a foreshadowing of ultimate victory), and Snodgrass’s preferred “Leviathan” view (suffering as the inevitable consequence of a comprehensively broken creation following Genesis 3). This section also establishes the author’s foundational “rules of engagement”, God’s absolute sovereignty, the limits of human understanding, the objective reality of evil, and redemption through Christ.
Subsequent chapters move through the text of Habakkuk in broad narrative strokes. Early chapters reconstruct the historical crisis of the Chaldean siege of Jerusalem, portraying Habakkuk’s raw lament (Hab. 1:2–4) as a visceral cry against internal corruption and impending destruction. The book then examines God’s surprising response (Hab. 1:5–11), in which the Lord claims responsibility for raising the Chaldeans as instruments of judgment. Later sections incorporate contemporary case studies of loss and irreversible trauma, showing how modern believers echo the prophet’s questions. The exposition continues toward Habakkuk’s climactic prayer of faith (chapter 3), culminating in a gospel-centered vision of redemption through Christ’s cross and resurrection.
The heart of the book lies in its insistence that tragedy is neither random nor punitive in a simplistic sense, but rather the fallout of a fallen world, a “Leviathan” reality that God sovereignly governs without originating evil. Snodgrass seeks to accomplish two primary goals: first, to validate honest, even accusatory lament as a legitimate and relational form of prayer; second, to anchor suffering believers in the assurance that God is neither absent from pain nor defeated by it, but is actively redeeming it through Christ. The flow, from raw lament to divine disclosure to renewed trust, models a pathway many readers will recognize in their own grief journeys.
Intended Audience and Voice
Habakkuk’s Tragedy is written primarily for adult Christians (ages 25–65) who are navigating deep personal sorrow, bereavement, chronic illness, injustice, or seasons of doubt, as well as pastors, counselors, and small-group leaders seeking biblically grounded resources on lament and theodicy. It speaks especially to those weary of prosperity-oriented answers or superficial comfort, offering instead a space for honest wrestling without abandoning hope.
Snodgrass’s voice is unmistakably academic-pastoral. He engages historical and exegetical sources (including Francis I. Andersen’s commentary on Habakkuk) with precision, yet communicates with the warmth and directness of a trusted mentor sitting with someone in pain. Vivid metaphors, personal anecdotes, paraphrased Scripture, and concluding prayers make the content accessible and devotional, while never sacrificing theological depth.
Strengths and Illustrative Examples
The book excels in several areas: its refusal to offer cheap resolutions, its integration of historical and archaeological context to make Habakkuk’s crisis feel immediate, and its innovative “Leviathan” framework that reframes tragedy as cosmic brokenness rather than targeted punishment. Snodgrass handles difficult texts with nuance, affirming God’s sovereignty over calamity while carefully distinguishing divine intent from moral authorship of evil.
Two brief examples illustrate the tone and insight:
In the chapter on Habakkuk’s opening lament, Snodgrass writes: “These are not gentle requests. They are accusations. They feel almost blasphemous, until we remember that this is how God’s people have always spoken when tragedy presses in hard enough to strip away every pretense.” This passage captures the book’s affirmation of bold, relational prayer.
Later, discussing God’s response, he observes: “God owns the action, ‘I am doing this’, claiming responsibility for the impending calamity.” Here Snodgrass navigates the tension of divine sovereignty thoughtfully, inviting readers to trust a God big enough to govern chaos without being tainted by it.
Recommendation
Habakkuk’s Tragedy is highly recommended for anyone seeking a serious yet compassionate guide through suffering. In a crowded field of books on grief and faith, Snodgrass’s work stands out for its exegetical integrity, emotional honesty, and gospel-centered hope. It equips readers to lament faithfully, question deeply, and trust stubbornly; knowing that the God who entered our broken world in Christ is present in every tear and promises to make all things new (Rev. 21:5). Pastors will find it a rich resource for preaching and counseling; lay readers will discover a companion that honors both their pain and their faith. This is a book that does not erase sorrow but walks with the reader through it toward enduring hope.