All Things Wise and Wonderful: A Christian Understanding of How and Why Things Happen, in Light of COVID-19

did god cause the Covid-19 pandemic? Before attempting to answer, we need to understand what we mean by “cause.”

Janet Warren is qualified to wrestle with this, drawing on her background as a family physician, psychotherapist and theologian. She has worked extensively at the intersection of science and theology.

When we think about God causing the pandemic, Warren asks, do we mean Covid-19 was a special act of creation? Do we mean God manipulated events so the virus would move from a local problem to a global crisis? Or do we mean God created a world where viruses are able to exist?

Warren offers a tour of how different disciplines understand causation, including the Bible, theology, mathematics, science and psychology. She shows that what seems like a simple question is much more complicated.

She acknowledges that desiring answers about causation is normal. But she also demonstrates that rarely can we say with definite certainty from both a theological and a scientific perspective that A causes B.

Warren’s concluding statement summarizes her message. “Worship the God who is wise and wonderful, and explore His wise and wonderful world. But remain open and humble about how little we understand.”

One criticism – her discussion of parapsychology and psychic phenomena was distracting in an otherwise rational book. Despite that, this book is a helpful resource for understanding how God interacts with creation in general.