Why Is There Conflict in the World?

Why Is There Conflict in the World? explores the biblical origins of human conflict and traces the ongoing war between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of man from Genesis to Revelation.

In this Crucial Questions booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul examines the cosmic struggle that began with the fall of humanity in the garden of Eden. Drawing on Augustine’s framework of the city of God and the city of man, Sproul shows how the serpent’s offer of autonomy—the desire to be a law unto oneself—ignited a rebellion that has shaped every generation since. The booklet traces the escalation of this conflict through the violence of Cain and Lamech and the rise of the secular city built on human power.

Sproul then turns to God’s provision amid the conflict, including the Old Testament cities of refuge and the hope of restoration that runs through Scripture. The booklet culminates in the vision of the new Jerusalem in Revelation, where God dwells with His people, the tree of life brings healing to the nations, and believers at last behold God face to face in the beatific vision. Throughout, Sproul grounds the Christian’s hope not in the resolution of earthly conflict but in the promise of a better city yet to come.

Key Themes

• The fall as the origin of the cosmic war between God’s kingdom and man’s kingdom
• Human autonomy and the rejection of God’s authority as the root of conflict
• The escalation of violence from Cain and Lamech to the broader pattern of the secular city
• The new Jerusalem and the beatific vision as the ultimate hope for believers

Featured Quotes

“Humans embraced the autonomy offered by the serpent in Eden.”

“There’s no greater promise given by God in all Scripture than the promise that someday we will see Him as He is.”