Chance and the Sovereignty of God

What if all events-big and small, good and bad-are governed by more than just blind chance? What if they are governed by God? In this theologically informed and philosophically nuanced introduction to the study of probability and chance, Vern Poythress argues that all events-including the seemingly random or accidental-fall under God's watchful gaze and are part of his eternal plan. Poythress tackles questions related to everything from natural disasters to the roll of the dice, explaining how God's sovereignty functions as the lens through which we study subjects such as science, mathematics, modern physics, evolutionary biology, human choice, and gambling. Comprehensive in its scope, this book lays the theistic foundation for our scientific assumptions about the world while addressing personal questions about the meaning and significance of everyday events.

Vern S. Poythress (PhD, Harvard University; ThD, University of Stellenbosch) is Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Biblical Interpretation, and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he has taught for four decades. In addition to earning six academic degrees, he is the author of numerous books and articles on biblical interpretation, language, and science.