Monday, April 15, 2019

Theodicy further explained (PhD Edit)

UWTSD, Lampeter
Theodicy further explained

Theodicy and Practical Theology, 2010. University of Wales (UWTSD).

Simon Blackburn (1996)[1] writes that theodicy is the part of theology[2] concerned with defending the omnibenevolence and omnipotence of God while suffering and evil exists in the world.[3]   A reasonable definition of theodicy is the explanation of how the infinite,[4] omnipotent, and omnibenevolent, all loving God accomplishes his plans within his creation where the problem of evil exists.  Philosopher Derk Pereboom (2005) writes that it is a project attempting to defend God in the face of the problem of evil.[5] Christian apologist, Art Lindsley (2003) reasons that it can be understood as a justification of God’s ways.[6]  Kenneth Cauthen explains that it is an attempt to hold to the omnipotence and loving nature of God without contradiction.[7] 

Edward R.Wickham (1964) explains that it asks how human suffering can be reconciled with the goodness of God.[8]  How can evil occur if God loves humanity?[9]  Rolf Hille (2004) notes that the issue with theodicy is not only how God can allow suffering in the world, but on a different turn, why do evil persons prosper in God’s creation?[10]  Hille explains that these considerations on evil and the existence of God led to a criticism of Christianity and religion in Europe in the Eighteenth century and to some degree earlier.[11]  The Eighteenth century[12] was when Leibniz’ book Theodicy[13] was published as was previously noted, and this era of history was when much of the modern debate concerning the problem of evil and theodicy began[14]  William Hasker (2007) in his review of Peter van Inwagen’s book The Problem of Evil, explains that a theodicy, unlike a defence, attempts to state the true reasons why evil exists[15] in a creation and world ruled by God.[16]  Theistic and Christian theodicy are therefore largely a response to initial Seventeenth, and primarily Eighteenth century and forward, secular criticisms of the theology and philosophy of God within religion and Christianity.[17]
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BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

CAUTHEN, KENNETH (1997) ‘Theodicy’, in Frontier.net, Rochester, New York, Kenneth Cauthen, Professor of Theology, Emeritus, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.

CLARKE, O. FIELDING. (1964) God and Suffering: An Essay in Theodicy, Derby, Peter Smith (Publishers) Limited.

HASKER, WILLIAM (1989) God, Time, and Knowledge, Ithaca, Cornell University Press.

HASKER, WILLIAM (1993) ‘C. Robert Mesle, John Hick’s Theodicy: A Process Humanist Critique’, in Philosophy of Religion, Volume 34, Number 1, pp. 55-56. Dordrecht, Netherlands, Philosophy of Religion.

HASKER, WILLIAM (1994) ‘Can Philosophy Defend Theology?’, in Faith and Philosophy, Volume 11, Number 2, April, pp. 272-278.  Wilmore, Kentucky, Asbury College.

HASKER, WILLIAM (2000) ‘The Problem of Evil in Process Theism and Classical Free Will Theism’, in Process Studies, Volume. 29, Number 2, Fall-Winter, pp. 194-208. Claremont, California, Religion Online.

HASKER, WILLIAM (2003) ‘Counterfactuals and Evil’, in Philosophia Christi, Volume 5, Number 1, pp. 235-249. La Mirada, California, Biola University.

HASKER, WILLIAM (2003) ‘Is Free-Will Theism Religiously Inadequate? A Reply to Ciocchi’, in Religious Studies, Volume 39, Number 4, December, pp. 431-440. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 

HASKER, WILLIAM (2007) ‘Peter van Inwagen, The Problem of Evil’, in Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, Notre Dame, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews. 

HILLE, ROLF (2004) ‘A Biblical-Theological Response to the Problem of Theodicy in the Context of the Modern Criticism of Religion’, in Evangelical Review of Theology, Volume 28, Number 1, pp. 21-37. Carlisle, UK, Evangelical Review of Theology.

PEREBOOM, DERK (2005) ‘The Problem of Evil’, in The Blackwell Guide to Philosophy of Religion, William E. Mann, (ed.), Oxford, Blackwell Publishing.

PLANTINGA, ALVIN C. (1977)(2002) God, Freedom, and Evil, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

PLANTINGA, ALVIN C. (1982) The Nature of Necessity, Oxford, Clarendon Press.

LEIBNIZ, G.W. (1710)(1998) Theodicy, Translated by E.M. Huggard Chicago, Open Court Classics.

LINDSLEY, ART (2003) ‘The Problem of Evil’, Knowing & Doing, Winter, Springfield, Virginia, C.S. Lewis Institute.

WICKHAM, EDWARD R. ‘Forward’, in O.Fielding.Clarke (1964) God and Suffering: An Essay in Theodicy, Derby, Peter Smith (Publishers) Limited.




[1] Blackburn is a secular humanist philosopher who has been very helpful in my study of philosophy of religion.
[2] Theodicy is an important aspect of Christian philosophy as well. O. Fielding Clarke writes that theodicy or the justification of God has engaged the attention of philosophers and theologians for centuries.  Clarke (1964: 9).  Obviously not all of these philosophers have been non-Christian and many of my Christian sources in this thesis will be philosophers and not necessarily theologians.
[3] Blackburn (1996: 375).
[4] The unlimited and unfixed. Blackburn (1996: 193).  God is considered infinite and his creation finite and therefore limited.
[5] Pereboom (2005:1).
[6] Lindsley (2003: 3).
[7] Cauthen (1997: 1).
[8] Wickham (1964: vii).
[9] Wickham (1964: vii).
[10] Hille (2004: 21).
[11] Hille (2004: 22).  This took place in the era of the Enlightenment will shall be defined in Chapter Six.
[12] Hille (2004: 22). 
[13] Leibniz, G.W. (1710)(1998).
[14] Hille (2004: 22).
[15] Hasker (2007: 1).
[16] Plantinga states that a defence and theodicy are different, and this shall be discussed in Chapter Two. Plantinga (1977)(2002: 28).  In Chapter Two I explain why a defence can be reviewed under the intellectual umbrella of theodicy.  In my view there are enough similarities between defence and theodicy to allow a defence to be reviewed under the general heading of theodicy.
[17] Hille (2004: 22).

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