Augustine and Irenaean theodicies Flashcards
what is a theodicy?
an attempt to justify god
what is evil as a consequence of sin?- Augustine
Gods creation was originally free from sin and did not exist before humans sinned
it came into existence after humans misused free will. e.g Adam and Eve
what is evil as a privation?- Augustine
evil is the result of a lack of good just as darkness is an absence of light, therefore god did not create it.
where does Augustine believe moral evil comes from?
comes from moral choice, when they use free will
what is The Fall?
all humans are descended from Adam and therefore share Adams sin and should be punished.
Adam and Eves sins make humans inclined towards sin
what is the Augustine theodicy?
god created the world perfect and man sinned and evil entered the world. This world of evil is not the world god created but the world of our choosing.
however god reopened the way for us to return to him through the sacrifice of Jesus
what is soul deciding?
those who freely accept Jesus as their saviour would be redeemed and reunited with god in heaven
what is the criticism posed by Mackie to the free will defence?
god could either create a world with:
* Maximum pleasure and minimum pain BUT no free will
or
*Pain and suffering with free will
However an omnipotent god could have the best of both worlds
what is free will?
god created humans so they could choose whether to love him. god must not intervene every time someone was going to do something genuinely evil as it would restrict free will
what did Richard Swinburne believe on the free will defence?
a world without death is one where a person cannot make the ultimate sacrifice, having a limited lifespan makes us focus on morality, a world without death would be a world dominated by the old. and death limits suffering
what is Richard Swinburnes toy world analogy?
asking god to make a toy world a world where things don’t matter very much, it would be like an overprotective parent who would not let his child out of sight
what did irenaeus believe about god?
god created humans in his image and that we grow into the likeness of god, humans are not created perfect but have the opportunity to be
why did god not make humans perfect?- irenaeus
because morality is developed through hard work and is more valuable that pre programmed good like a robot
what did irenaeus believe about the creation of the world?
that the world was not created perfect,
“a world without problems, difficulties, perils and hardships would be morally static”
how did Swinburne Develop the ideas of irenaeus?
developed the moral virtues of compassion, generosity and selflessness are only necessary in world which has pain, poverty and corruption.
real compassion is only possible when experience real pain
how did John hick develop the ideas of irenaeus?
used the term soul making to describe process of moral growth. as if god intervened it would undermine human freedom and god makes his existence uncertain so we don’t act out of virtue and morality out of fear of god but rather we choose to believe he is watching
what is soul making?
the process of moral growth in which god allows suffering in order to develop humans morally
what are the challenges to soul making?
that suffering can lead some people to moral degradation
what universal salvation? irenaeus
in order for suffering to be morally justified, everyone must attain perfection in the end after death (universal salvation)
what are the criticisms of irenaeus?
- does all suffering lead to moral growth, some degrade such as prisoners who go on to commit crime
- is suffering the only way to create moral growth
- is universal salvation fair, if all make it to heaven what is the point in being good now when you make it to heaven in the end
