Augustine's Theodicy

Question 1

Responsibility of God

Answer 1

Evil is a privation so he is not responsible for the existence of evil. It came from the fall of human kind (moral evil) and the fall of angles (natural evil)

Question 2

Role of human free will

Answer 2

Free will is necessary because it enables humans to make choices between good and evil

Question 3

Quotes

Answer 3

“humans are made in the image and likeness of God”

“All evil is sin or the punishment for sin”

Question 4

The fall of angles

Answer 4

There were other beings that were made to be good but choose to fall away from God’s grace
Disrupted the harmony of the natural order of the world which resulted in a damaged environment

Question 5

The fall of humankind

Answer 5

The temptation of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden
All humans are “seminally present” in Adam. Therefore all humans were present in Adam’s first sin and all humans inherited the tendency to chose evil

Question 6

Jesus Christ

Answer 6

Jesus sacrifice on the cross took the punishment of sin and now humans should now reject evil and chose good