The Trial of God has been one of my favorite works of literature since I was required to read it in a college class titled “Hate, Holocaust, and Hope.” Reflecting the full range of human faith, anger, and doubt, the characters in this play are repeatedly asked to reflect on where God is when humans suffer.

Elie Wiesel, renowned author and Auschwitz survivor, sets this play in eastern Europe in the 1600s. It is Purim, a festive holiday celebrating the deliverance of the Jewish people from the Persian king, as recounted in the book of Esther. Traditional celebrations include wearing masks, drinking wine, retelling the story with crowd participation (noisemakers, cheers, and boos), and giving money to the poor.

In Wiesel’s play, Purim is anything but festive. Three traveling minstrels show up at an inn, hoping to stage a play for the holiday. But the innkeeper, Berish, and his daughter, Hanna, are the only two living Jews in the village following a recent pogrom. The ordeal was so horrific, Berish announces that he has “resigned from membership in God” (p15). He no longer cares to interact with a God who doesn’t listen to the cries of the people.

Eventually, the travelers and the innkeeper come to an agreement that they can perform a play for Purim, but it will be a Din-Toïre – a staged trial, with God as the defendant, persecuted for crimes against humanity. The minstrels will play judge and Berish will be the prosecuting attorney. The hardest role to fill turns out to be God’s defense lawyer.

At the same time, the town’s anger against Jews has been stirred up again, and violence seems to be at the threshold of the inn’s door. A bumbling priest has warned those who are at the inn, but it seems that there is no escape. What can possibly be done against such forces of evil? The resounding question of the play is poignant: Where is God in all of this?

The reader will find an endless source of theological and humanitarian reflections in The Trial of God. It is worth the read for anyone who had experienced pain, or knows someone who has. The play would make for a meaningful discussion at a lay-led book group or in a seminary classroom.

I rarely fold down the pages of books that I read, but as you can see from the attached photo, this book has made a significant impact on me each of the times I’ve read it. If all people of faith took the time to wrestle with the issues presented in The Trial of God, perhaps we would understand each other and God more deeply.