Problem Of Evil

Question 1

What is the definition of evil?

Answer 1

Profoundly immoral and wicked

Question 2

What is the definition of moral evil?

Answer 2

Evil that is caused from human actions

Question 3

What is the definition of natural evil?

Answer 3

Causes of suffering within the natural world e.g. Disasters

Question 4

What is the problem of evil?

Answer 4

The challenge that the existence of evil poses for faith in God.

Question 5

What is the logical problem of evil?

Answer 5

The three statements that : God is all powerful, God is all loving and evil exists are logically inconsistent and cannot be true( inconsistent triad). Since the statement evil exists is true , at least one of the other true must logically be false

Question 6

Which scholars are associated with the logical problem of evil /inconsistent triad?

Answer 6

J.L. Mackie, David Hume and Epicurus

Question 7

What is the evidential problem of evil?

Answer 7

The amount of suffering in the world makes it improbable that God exists and the likelihood that pointless suffering exists counts most strongly against Gods existence

Question 8

Which scholar is mainly associated with the evidential problem of evil?

Answer 8

William Rowe

Question 9

What is a theodicy?

Answer 9

A defence of the justice of God in the light of evil

Question 10

What is a privation?

Answer 10

An absence or lacking of something

Question 11

What does predestination mean?

Answer 11

The doctrine that God has ordained all that will happen, also in regards to the salvation of some and not others

Question 12

What is the principle of plenitude?

Answer 12

Asserts that everything that can happen will happen

Question 13

What is the free will defence?

Answer 13

The view that human free will, and the context in which it can be meaningfully used, explain and justify the existence of evil in a world created by God

Question 14

What is an epistemic distance?

Answer 14

Distance from knowledge of God , he is hidden and so allows humans to choose freely

Question 15

What is meant by soul deciding and which theodicy can be associated with it?

Answer 15

People’s responses to evil decides their destiny

Augustine theodicy

Question 16

What is meant by soul making and which theodicy can be associated with it?

Answer 16

The presence of evil helps people to grow and develop

Hicks theodicy

Question 17

What is Iranean theodicy?

Answer 17

The idea humans were not made readily perfect by God and neither was the world they live in

Question 18

What is Augustine’s aesthetic argument?

Answer 18

There is overall goodness and beauty in the world. Parts of the world may appear evil to us now, but in the final judgement all evil will be punished.

Question 19

What are the key parts/ stages of Augustinian theodicy?

Answer 19

• God is perfect and created a perfect world
• At first suffering and evil were unknown to Gods creation
• Impossible for God to be responsible for evil as it is a privation of good - “privatio boni”
• The fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis brought moral evil into the world and tainted relationship with God
• Natural evil is fitting punishment
• All humans inherit “original sin” so God is right to not intervene
• God saves humanity through Jesus Christ so those who believe in him will be saved
• Aesthetic argument shows that despite evil, world is wholly good when viewed in its entirety