Irenaeus’ Theodicy

Question 1

Irenaeus overall argument

Answer 1

-Irenaeus believe that God deliberately created the world with a mixture of evil and goodness and that God is the source of evil as an opportunity to grow, learn and develop.

Question 2

Image of God

Answer 2

-Humans were created the image of God in that they are personal, moral beings, capable of rational, moral thinking with freewill.

Question 3

Likeness of God

Answer 3

-God do not create humans in his likeliness and he means we lack the qualities of God’s divinity.

Question 4

Achieving God’s likeness

Answer 4

-Every person person is born with the potential for moral and spiritual growth but if one rejects God they will go to hell

Question 5

Why not make us perfect from the beginning

Answer 5

• Worthwhile things are gained with difficulty as pat of being good is an effort of will.
• If God stepped in every time someone made a wrong choice and right the reveille this would remove our freewill and potential to learn from our mistakes.

Question 6

What about Adam and Eve.

Answer 6

-Adam and Eve as children in their moral immaturity disobeyed a simple rule. It is not a catastrophe; it is part of growing up.