Thomas Cromwell – författare

A new foreword to the second edition explains how Vladimir Putin''s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 demonstrated an age-old pattern of unjustified brutality exhibited by one brother to another, one group to another, one nation to another. It marked a return to the bad international behavior associated with the cataclysmic events of World War II, which resulted in tens of millions of deaths and untold suffering for many millions more.

From the point of view of the thesis of this book, the invasion was classic Cain-type behavior, based on resentment, envy, accusation, predatory calculation and, ultimately, murderous violence. Ukraine is literally a brother nation to Russia, sharing history, religion, culture and language. It had done nothing to earn the wrath of Putin. As of this writing, several months after the invasion, the Ukrainian people have suffered enormously, with thousands killed and millions displaced from their homes. Cities have been flattened, crops stolen, men tortured and women raped. In short, Putin''s Russia has been barbaric.

The world has watched Putin in shock and horror. How can something like this happen in the 21st century? And nations have been tested. How resolute are they in the face of barbarism on a massive scale? Some leaders and governments have responded decisively to the crisis; others have equivocated.

The Triumph of Good explains the origins and nature of the Cain-Abel paradigm, and how it applies to history and the world today. It points out the importance of Abel offering a robust and determined response to Cain in order for the original purpose of creation, the Divine Providence, to be realized. It points out that the hope of humankind lies in the absolute goodness of the Creator and therefore of our common destiny. However, it also makes clear that we will see a triumph of good only if we fulfill our God-given responsibilities

Jesus in the Divine Providence takes a novel approach to understanding the significance of Jesus from both historical and providential perspectives. The centuries of preparation for a Messiah through the establishment of the chosen nation of Israel are explained, as are the circumstances of Jesus'' life that led to his crucifixion by the very people chosen to receive him. The consequences of this rejection shaped the religion that emerged from his life and teaching: Christianity.

What are the obligations of Christians in the light of Jesus'' crucifixion? What has been the end goal of the many stages of evolution and reformation in the faith? What is the proper Christian attitude to Jews? How should they understand the rise of Islam, and what should their attitude to Muslims be? How can they best relate to the non-Abrahamic faiths? How should they respond to the challenges posed by Atheistic Marxism and Neo-Marxism? And how can they guide science to fulfill a positive role in the world? Finally, why have Christians had to wait so long for a second advent of Christ?

The brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia is the result of decades of ill-conceived foreign policy priorities in the West.

Ever since George F. Kennan''s post-WWII containment policy became gospel in most Western capitals, the world''s bad actors have been able to exploit the West''s reluctance to confront and defeat tyrannies because of its exaggerated fear of provoking the escalation of conflicts. The goal of containment and détente was to maintain the status quo of a world divided between two rival superpowers-and not to defeat evil.

World War II came to a successful end because the Axis powers surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, and the Allies made sure that the imperialist beasts that had rampaged across the earth were caged and defanged.

However, starting with Korea, with few exceptions Western powers since WWII have sued for peace while the enemy was still unvanquished and hence capable of recovering and renewing its aggression. Thus today the world continues to suffer from a belligerent North Korea, and it took Ronald Reagan''s policy of "We win. They Lose" to end the predations of the Soviet Union and free its subject peoples from Moscow''s oppression.

Ex-KGB officer Vladimir Putin, a relic of the USSR, has turned Russia from a Communist state into a fascist state. He has been encouraged in his current aggression against Ukraine by the feeble Western response to his earlier predations in Georgia and Crimea. This pattern of Western appeasement of predatory states must change. Ukraine must get all the support it needs to defeat Russia decisively. Ukraine can win and it must win.