Problem of Evil

Question 1

Original perfection

Answer 1

‘God saw what he made, and it was very good’ (Genesis 1:31)

Every part of the world is good and perfect in its own way, hence variety. A stone is good for building a house, but not as food. This is the diversity of creation.

Question 2

Privation

Answer 2

Augustine thought if everything God made was good, then evil must be the going wrong of something good. Evil is a lack of good (privatio boni) which is not its own quality. Darkness is a lack of light, and bad teeth are just good teeth not taken care of. Evil is falling short of good.

Question 3

Moral Evil

Answer 3

The evil inherited from The Fall of Angels and the Fall of Man

Question 4

Original sin

Answer 4

The sin of human nature inherited from the Fall.

Question 5

Seminally present

Answer 5

The sinful nature is seminally present in Adam, so moral evil continues.

Question 6

Natural evil

Answer 6

The Fall of the angels, including Lucifer (Satan), caused disharmony and imbalance in nature. This imbalance led to natural disasters.

Question 7

Incarnation

Answer 7

God made flesh, died and took the punishment of sin himself, paying the price for human failure.