Augustian Theodicy Flashcards
What is a theodicy?
A way to “justify” the existence of God
Who was St Augustine of Hippo?
a highly influential 4th century Christian philosopher and theologian
What did St Augustine believe about evil?
He argued that evil is not a substance or created entity but rather a privation of good (‘privatio boni’ ) meaning it only exists where good is lacking
What did St Augustine believe about the origins of the world?
-He emphasised the idea that God originally created the world and all things in it as good just as the book of Genesis mentions:”God saw what he had made and it was good”
-Yet, humans, through their free will, introduced evil by disobeying God during the fall in Genesis.
-Augustine argued that because humanity was “seminally present” in Adam, we inherited not only the guilt of his original sin but also the evil and suffering that resulted from it. This original act of disobedience brought consequences that affected all of humanity
