The World That Groans
Creation, Curse, and the Hope of Redemption
About the Book
In The World That Groans, Pastor James Burke invites readers behind the pulpit to explore the theological wrestling that precedes preaching. This is not a collection of sermons, but a careful examination of Genesis 1–11—the chapters that set the categories for everything that follows in the biblical story[cite: 536, 553].
Moving beyond philosophical abstractions, Burke traces how human autonomy, rather than a flaw in God’s design, reshaped the world into a place of resistance and toil[cite: 551, 608]. From the quiet rebellion in Eden to the celebrated violence of early empires, this volume explains why the world groans and, more importantly, why the God who allows it to groan is also the God who intends to heal it[cite: 608, 619, 380].
Exposition Preview
From the Preface:
"The questions addressed here are not academic curiosities. They arise repeatedly in pastoral life: Why does the world groan? Why does evil persist? Why does creation itself seem fractured? [cite: 546, 547] These are not questions that yield to quick answers... They demand sustained attention to the biblical story itself." [cite: 549, 550]
On the Nature of the Curse:
"The curse describes what life looks like when humanity insists on defining good and evil for itself. [cite: 131] The ground was cursed because of Adam—but it was never abandoned. [cite: 506] The curse explains why the world groans. The gospel explains why it will not groan forever." [cite: 509]