evil and suffereing

Question 1

problem of evil

Answer 1

The challenge that the existence of evil poses for faith in God who is said to be omnipotent and omnibenevolent

Question 2

theodicy

Answer 2

justifies god

Question 3

natural evil

Answer 3

Causes of suffering within the natural world including disaster, disease, decay and death.

Question 4

moral evil

Answer 4

intentional human action or inaction that results in suffering, e.g. murder or arguably, failure to have children vaccinated

Question 5

evidential problem of evil

Answer 5

Proposed by William Rowe. The amount of suffering in the world makes it improbable that God exists, or unreasonable to believe that God exists

Question 6

logical problem of evil

Answer 6

Supported by J. L. Mackie, and also found in the work of David Hume among many others, that the three statements: God is all powerful, God is all loving, and there is evil in the world, are logically inconsistent and cannot all be true.

Question 7

free will defence

Answer 7

The view that human free will explains and justifies the existence of evil in a world created by God.

Question 8

john hicks vale of soul making theodicy

Answer 8

A modern presentation of the Irenaean theodicy, this argues that both natural and moral evil are essential to ‘soul making’ so they have a good purpose.

Question 9

irenaen theodicy

Answer 9

Theodicies in this tradition follow the lead of the second century Bishop now Saint Irenaeus. The key theme of the theodicy is that humanity develops through encountering evil, so evil has a good purpose.