2B Religious Responses (Augustinian)

Question 1

Give some general information about Augustine.

Answer 1

• Had a Christian education but rebelled against Christianity, later indulging in ‘pleasures of the flesh’
• Came under the influence of a Chrisitan bishop, Ambrose of Milan
• Produced a vast amount of writing in defence of Christianity, mainly against heresies
• Wrote influentially about belief and doctrine

Question 2

What are the two assumptions that his biblically-based theodicy rests upon?

Answer 2

1) Evil does not come from G, as G’s creation was faultless and perfect
2) As evil comes from elsewhere, G = justified in allowing it to stay

Question 3

Explain evil as a consequence of sin.

Answer 3

• Creation = originally free from evil
• Evil came into existence when angels, followed by humans, misused free will and turned from G
• Humans = angels = part of created order ∴ susceptible to change + capable of turning away from G (an act of free will that chose the lower rather than the higher good)
• Cause of their willingness = mystery
• Gift of free will entails concept of moral responsibility; humans = ultimately responsible for sin/evil ∵ they voluntarily choose sin

Question 4

Explain evil as a privation.

Answer 4

• Evil ≠ a ‘substance’/part of created order; if it is a substance, G must have created it, but he is omnibenevolent ∴ he cannot have done
• Evil indicated a privation of part of God’s order
• Turning away = privation of intended order/purpose ∴ evil
• Everything = made good but has the potential to be corrupted
• Having the potential ≠ evil; only occurs when the potential is realised and the good thing becomes corrupted
• The fact that things corrupt shows that their nature is good
• Evil = loss of goodness = privation
• Evil has no real being of its own, such as darkness (a privation of light)

Question 5

Explain the inherited sin from the Fall.

Answer 5

• All humans = descendants of Adam (we are “seminally present”)
∴ we share Adam’s guilt
• We deserve to face the same punishment

Question 6

Why do we suffer through moral evil?

Answer 6

• It is humankind’s fault through actions performed on the basis of free will

Question 7

Why do we suffer through natural evil?

Answer 7

• A direct result of the privation of good caused by turning away

Question 8

Why did G create this particular universe, even though he knew that humans would abuse their free will?

Answer 8

• “God judged it to be better to bring good out of evil, than to not permit any evil to exist.”

Question 9

Explain the ‘soul-deciding theodicy’.

Answer 9

• To bring good out of evil = “happy mistake” (felix culpa)
• If not for the Fall, G would never have needed to send J into world to save it from its sin
• Those who freely choose to accept J as their saviour = redeemed and reunited with G in Heaven
• This chance to seek redemption through J shows that G = merciful, and underlines his justice

Question 10

Explain the challenge of reliance on accounts of the Creation and Fall.

Answer 10

• For the literalist believer, the accounts are plausible ∵ rooted in divine scripture
• However, if a non-literal, mythological view is taken, any claims of historicity of accounts = suspect

Question 11

Explain the challenge of biological impossibility.

Answer 11

• We cannot have all descended from one pair of humans, nor is it possible for one person’s sin to be transferred to humanity
• If Genesis is not scientifically valid, then Augustine’s theory ≠ consistent or relevant to our exp. of evil
• Despite Dawkins’ concept of memes and the Hebrew concept of Yetzer seemingly supporting Augustine, guilt is not a consistent behavioural trait, but is subject to change, according to the principals of evolution

Question 12

Explain the challenge of the perfect order becoming chaotic.

Answer 12

• Contradicts geological records. Geology sees the nature of the world as chaotic and unpredictable, and it has always been this way
• Evolutionary theory of the development of humans from simple organisms = well-evidenced; his theodicy reduces the plausibility of humans simply being made straight away

Question 13

Explain the challenge of the perfect world relating to knowledge.

Answer 13

• If a perfect world had been created, why was knowledge of good and evil necessary for free will? This implies evil already existed.

Question 14

Explain the challenge relating to Hell.

Answer 14

• Hell is part of the created order

* G knew of the angels rebelling AND made a place of punishment for them - questions omnibenevolence

Question 15

Explain the challenge relating to immutability.

Answer 15

• Perfection = immutable ∴ how can a perfect creation ever be less than perfect?
• This implies flaws in G’s creation as angels would not need to rebel in a perfectly created order.

Question 16

Explain the challenge of humans not needing to sin.

Answer 16

• Humans began by being perfect ∴ even though they are free to sin, they do not need to do so
• If they do, they were not faultless to begin with and G must share responsibility for their fall
• In a perfect world there is no need to sin

Question 17

Explain the challenge relating to omniscience.

Answer 17

• As G = omniscient, he would have known that angels and humans would fall.

Question 18

What do modern supporters, such as Plantinga and Miller, suggest?

Answer 18

• Much determines on how we interpret what Augustine meant by privation and free will

Question 19

What does Hick believe?

Answer 19

• Aug’s ideas = a product of the time and have no relevance to the way in which we understand the world today