John Horgan

Where Was God on September 11? is the transcript of an actual conversation between a passionate rationalist and a clergyman engaged in the work of comforting those whose lives were shattered by the attacks of September 11, 2001. One of the world's most celebrated science writers, John Horgan, puts the big moral questions to a pastor who has been daily ministering to the survivors, the Ground Zero rescue workers, and the families and friends of the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center: How can a God of goodness condone such an evil inflicted on so many innocents? Is the God in whose name mass murder is committed the same as the God in whose love the bereaved seek comfort? Can we hope to find answers to such questions, or does the solution to the problem of evil transcend all efforts at human understanding? Can each of the world's major religions continue to claim unique access to universal truth without fomenting deadly fanaticism?

Horgan also asks Reverend Geer practical questions about grieving, solace, healing, and persistent distress: How can people help others-and themselves- start healing after an event like September 11? Do post-9/​11 symptoms such as sleeplessness, inability to concentrate, or vague dread fall within the normal range, or are they flags for clinical attention?

Drawing on a lifetime of pastoral duty and priestly meditation, Reverend Geer answers with courage and loving-kindness Horgan's battery of tough questions in Where Was God on September 11?

Authors' royalties are donated to charity.