Irenaean type theodicies Flashcards
How is Irenaeus’ theodicy different from Augustine?
He presents God to be responsible for the possibility of the existence of evil
How is God being responsible for evil deliberate?
He wanted human beings to develop qualities that make us spiritually perfect
What part of the Bible is crucial for Irenaean type theodicies?
The first part of genesis
What quote from Genesis is crucial for Irenaean type theodicies?
‘Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness.”’
What did Irenaeus believe humans were created with?
Partial maturity but the potential to develop and grow into the image and likeness of God
What is an example of this partial maturity?
Adam and Eve being expelled from Eden, not because they were perfect and then sinned, but because they were immature
What did theologian John Hick make an analogical distinction between?
Image, possessing the potential qualities of God’s spiritual perfection, and likeness, actualising these qualities
For Hick what is an inevitable part of maturity?
The fall as it becomes ‘the most valuable potentialities of human personality
What are examples of second-order goods?
Courage and compassion
What happens if we develop second-order goods?
Human beings could mature from ‘image’ into ‘likeness’; this created order provides an opportunity for development
What does this development become?
‘A vale of soul-making’
Through what is the process of soul making justified?
Through salvation
How is soul making justified through salvation?
By resurrection to the afterlife human beings become fully realised in terms of both image and likeness
What is essential for maturity?
Free will and the ability to choose to do good
What does true freedom for human beings require?
An epistemic distance from God
What is an epistemic distance from God?
Human beings are unaware of the knowledge of God
What happens as a result of an epistemic distance from God?
We make spiritual and moral decisions through faith accepting God through faith
Why is an epistemic distance essential?
It ensures that free choice is more valuable and that any sense of being watched avoids any choices being compromised
What does God’s mercy allow?
For all those people who reject God or have no opportunity to perfect this growth and development to take up or continue this process in the afterlife
What is the challenge of logical consistency of eschatological justification? (Irenaeous)
If everyone will be saved eventually then why behave morally now and do we have free will when even if we initially refuse salvation
What is a challenge for Irenaous’ theodicy about suffering as an instrument?
The idea that suffering as an instrument of a loving God is more akin to the abuse of a tyrant exercising power or control in a cruel, unreasonable and arbitrary way
What is the challenge of the length of Irenaeus’ theodicy?
The overall process is lengthy and painful therefore there must be a better way to achieve spiritual and moral development
What arguments were presented by Rowe and Paul?
The evidential arguments
What do the evidential arguments question?
Evil as a tool for learning as in reality the amount of misery caused is unnecessary
