Hick/Irenaeus soul-making theodicy Flashcards
1
Q
Irenaeus response to the problem of evil –> soul making theodicy
A
- gods aim when he created the world was to make humans flawless in his likeness
- genuine human perfection cannot be made but must be developed by human choice as morality from freewill is greater than morality through gods will
- since we were given free choice we were given the choice to disobey him –> this is only made possible through evil
- therefore the natural order is designed with the possibility of creating harm, and humans had to be imperfect and god steps back from creation
- genuine challenge stimulates moral growth, and humans could not develop if they were made perfect and developing virtues is far greater than just having it
- natural evil = suffering = opportunities to develop genuine virtues
- evil is therefore a tool for development
2
Q
irenaeus and why god is justified for not removing evil
universal salvation as an end goal
A
- humans use their freedom to disobey god causing suffering + god cannot compromise our freedom by removing evil as that removed free will
- he allows us to develop our moral virtues and become more god like
- eventually evil and suffering will be overcome and EVERYONE will develop into Gods likeness, living in glory in heaven
- Irenaeus was a universalist: heaven is for all, a child can die but be in heaven automatically –> hell is a rejection of that offer (like purgatory)
3
Q
why is irenaeus’ soul making theodicy valid
A
- moral: tool for development and to sustain free will
- natural: gives an environment that stimulates growth and allows us to develop genuine virtues
- logical: evil is not gods fault, and he demonstrates love by keeping it for free will
- evidential: god cannot compromise freedom by removing ANY evil
- omnipotence and omnibenevolence: can remove but chooses not too so we can have free lives and develop our virtues to achieve fellowship with him, demonstrating love
4
Q
john hick and soul making –> achieving morals
anthroporphism
A
- virtues developed as a result of an individual overcoming temptation are ‘intrinsically more valuable’ than those just given by god
- it is more valuable and satisfying to achieve god - like qualities from effort
- takes Irenaeus’ ideas and thinks man is in a constant state of creational evolvement –> the world is the ‘vale of soul making’
- the world is for soul development and this is the purpose of creation and living on earth
- however this may been seen as an anthropocentric idea as he only considers human life in his theodicy and assumes such a complex ecosystem is just for humans
5
Q
john hick and the soul making process
A
BIOS:
- first step is the creation of the physical universe and organic life
- next is the creation of man, an organic being with a personal life capable of having a relationship with god –> intelligent and has free will (the creation of man in the image of god)
ZOE:
- man achieving goodness and personal worth
- attainment of the likeness of god through developing the soul on earth
6
Q
john hick and humanity/god relationship
counterarguments
A
- relationship is like a parent/child relationship
- birth of man/conception and birth
- teaching wrong from right –> god teaching how to live a good life how he sees fit
- since human kind is endowed free will this a cooperative effort
- ROWE: the scale of evil is too large to justify we need all of it to develop our virtues
- is it loving to be left with all this evil? is god a responsible parent?
7
Q
hick and why god did not make us good
resisting temptation
A
- hick argues that this would be akin to man creating a pet in a cage
- argues that initial perfection is not as valuable as perfection achieved through trial and error
- according to him –> goodness achieved over a period of time through trial and tribulation of resisting temptation and sin involves strength and moral effort
- is it better to exist in a world with evil and suffering and working for virtues, or to not exist at all??
8
Q
why is the soul making theodicy valid
checklist
A
- moral: developing virtues through overcoming suffering is intrinsically more value than them being built in
- natural: since we had to be created imperfect and be distanced from god, the natural world could not be a paradise
- omnibenevolence: god allows us in our imperfection to develop our virtues to become him –> demonstrates love
- omnipotence: created the world and left evil in it just for our development, can remove it but doesnt out of love
- logical poe: allows evil out of love for our development
- evidential: not justified by this theodicy
9
Q
john hick and epistemic distance
A
- think Kierkegaard and the king/maiden
- humans are created at an epistemic distance from God in order to come to freely to know and love their maker
- created as morally immature and imperfect beings in order to attain freedom –> the most valuable quality of goodness
- epistemic distance: freedom to love choose to believe –> test if you adhere to moral values without supervision
10
Q
why did god make beings at an epistemic distance
A
- god couldve made humanity be in his presence so we would be aware of his divine power
- if so, the epistemic gap would be so small that humans would have no freedom in relation to god (we would follow due to gods expectations not true love)
- god made us so we have awareness but not certainty of god –> epistemic distance
- humans have a choice whether to come to god through faith, or to acknowledge/reject god –> this is true free will
11
Q
how does the epistemic distance demonstrate Gods qualities
A
- omniB: allows moral evil to sustain free will and so we can come to him freely
- omnipotence: god can close the gap but doesnt out of love
- omniscience: knows his plan will work
12
Q
hicks soul making theodicy and natural evil
A
- hick uses a counter-factual hypothesis to consider what would happen if the world had no evil and concludes that evil is necessary for soul making
- argues the world needs imperfection and suffering develops the moral virtues, god allows evil for this
- the world has order and beauty with natural evil: the rules of nature do not bend if evil will occur, making them
absolute - a parent cannot allow a child their every whim, so god cannot remove natural evil just for our immediate benefit when it serves a greater purpose
- hick: the presence of natural evil is transcended by its necessity for soul making
HOWEVER:
- contradicts Augustine + Gods perfect creation by saying he made an imperfect world
13
Q
hick and universal salvation
A
ALL WILL INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE AS CHILDREN OF GOD
- argues that the becoming like gods likeness does not happen in this life except for saints
- the process of soul making is therefore completed in the afterlife
- not everyone develops in this life and if life ends at death gods plan would be frustrated
- only a supremely good future in heaven can justify the magnitude of evil endured
- many evil people are victims of the system and it would be wrong to punish them
HOWEVER:
- the plenitude of evil is still not justified by universal salvation at the end (was it necessary??)
14
Q
strengths of the vale of soul making
A
- emphasis on human development falls inline with evolution –> gives it academic credibility, as evolution is seen as scientific fact
- supported by christian tradition by relying on irenaeus
- rationally accounts for all the parts of a theodicy
- epistemic distance is a good reason for the lack of gods intervention
- it is reasonable and intuitive as an explanation for evil
15
Q
weaknesses of the vale of soul making
A
- evidential problem remains
- doesnt explain why suffering is distributed so INCONSISTENTLY
- the suffering of others benefits the development of others (does god have favourites) –> countered by hicks free will and god not being involved
- is it fair that ALL get to go to heaven
- DZ phillips: never justified to hurt someone to help them
- mary midgely: puts the blame for evil on god and absolves our responsibility for moral evil
- christians: jesus is no longer a saviour but a moral teacher
- not compatible with classic theism (bible and qur’an)
