Problem Of Evil

Question 1

Irenaean Theodicy

Answer 1

A soul-making theodicy- everyone is on a journey to become perfect Imago Dei. Humans are made in God’s image, but must earn and achieve his likeness.

Question 2

Irenaeus- Image and likeness

Answer 2

We are in God’s image, not yet his likeness. Image means rational being, free will, not morally perfect. Likeness- eudaimonia, moral perfection.

Question 3

Irenaeus- Free Will and Evil

Answer 3

Evil is the result of free will, humans created deliberately imperfect so they could grow and develop- the consequence is that we can make wrong choices. Fits with idea of salvation.

Question 4

Irenaeus- Necessary Evil

Answer 4

‘How, if we had no knowledge of the contrary, could we have instruction in that which is good?’ Evil is necessary for humans to appreciate good and exercise free will. Suffering is cathartic- enables good. Suffering is to be expected, and accounted for by salvation upon death. ‘Suffering produces perseverance, character; and character, hope’- Bible

Question 5

John Hick

Answer 5

Modified Irenaean Theodicy- God’s relationship with humankind must be founded on the principle of free choice

Question 6

Hick- Free choice and real consequences

Answer 6

A real choice is necessary to elicit a real consequence- if a life is perfect, it needs no improvement, no incentive to make such a life good or practise good values. If someone cannot be hurt, there is no nobility in not hurting them. God created a gap in knowledge between us, allowing us to reason and think

Question 7

Hick- Necessary Evil

Answer 7

A world without suffering would mean all beings would have no aim or purpose, no potential to realise, it would be of no interest, no true human life, no free will, and no opportunity to practise good values such as concern, courage or discipline

Question 8

Hick- Purpose

Answer 8

Something’s goodness is dependent on its purpose- a perfect world would have no room for improvement and development, which is our purpose. This idea of purpose overcomes idea of intrinsic good.

Question 9

Hick- salvation

Answer 9

No torturous hell, but rather a place of temporary suffering for further soul-making

Question 10

Hick- Intervention from God

Answer 10

If no harm could come from anything and God continually intervened, changing the nature of things for different purposes, nature would have no regularity or consistency

Question 11

Irenaeus and Hick- Strengths

Answer 11

Acknowledges evil as a real thing, fits with salvation and modern evolutionary theory, promotes value of sacrifice and struggle, more practical

Question 12

Augustinian Theodicy

Answer 12

God is perfect- he created the world perfect, sin is the privation of good. ‘The world is no less perfect because of the misery of sinners’. ‘All evil is either sin or the punishment for sin’.

Question 13

Augustine- The Fall

Answer 13

The Fall (giving in to temptation of sin), led to natural evil, Man cursed with ability to sin. Free will valued so highly- God sustains world with evil.
Aesthetic value- evil allows us to appreciate goodness

Question 14

Augustine- Strengths

Answer 14

Takes blame and responsibility of evil away from God, accounts for both moral evil and natural evil (free will of humans, and angels), evil being privation of good further absolves God of blame, fits with idea of salvation

Question 15

Augustine- Criticisms- The Fall

Answer 15

Treats Genesis as historical fact, unjust we should bear the blame for the Fall- theologians now see the Fall as the cause for are inclination to get things wrong, not our punishment

Question 16

Augustine- Criticisms- “Perfection”

Answer 16

If creation were perfect, how could it go wrong? Evil cannot have created itself from a perfect world. God created hell- a place for only suffering, and created an environment for evil to thrive- doesn’t suggest omnibenevolence. Eternal punishment seems too harsh- serves no purpose, not omnibenevolence.
Punishment for ignorance seems unjustifiable- to be culpable, we need knowledge and deliberate disobedience- Aquinas
Foreknowledge of evil and disasters robs humans of free will and does not suggest omnibenevolence. To deny this would be to deny omniscience and perfection

Question 17

Irenaeus- Criticisms- “Good” and “Evil”

Answer 17

Can anything be described as inherently good? A stone may be useful, but that is subjective.
Privation of good not practically accurate- ‘essentially denies the reality of evil’, renders it invisible and insensitive to suffering- would not be used as consolation

Question 18

Augustine- Criticisms- Scientific accuracy

Answer 18

Evolution seems to disprove theory of original perfection, idea of inheriting original sin also not scientifically accurate

Question 19

Logical Problem of Evil

Answer 19

If God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent, why does he supposedly allow evil to exist?

Question 20

Inconsistent Triad

Answer 20

God is omnibenevolent, omnipotent and omniscient, yet evil and suffering exists. It seems he must not be able to eradicate evil (not omnipotent), does not know how (not omniscient) or does not want to (cannot be omnibenevolent).

Question 21

Plotinus

Answer 21

Different levels of good in different areas. The lack of good in some areas is what we call evil- still part of the greater good.