What is the theme in Redemption by John Gardner?

Gardner chooses God and religion as one of his central themes in "Redemption." More specifically, Gardner chooses to explore theodicy, the defense of God's omnipotence and goodness in the face of evil. The central question of theodicy is, of course, if God is good and all-powerful, why does God allow evil in the world? How is it that a beneficent and omnipotent God would allow a small child to be crushed to death under the wheels of a cultipacker?