The problem of evil

Question 1

Augustine
1. Privation Theory of Evil

Answer 1

Augustine proposed that evil is not a positive force but rather the absence of privation of good. Evil exits as a lack of distortion of the goodness that God originally intended

Question 2

Augustine
2. Free will and the fall

Answer 2

Emphasized the role of free will in existence of evil.

He argued that evil entered the world through the misuse of free will by Adam and Eve in the Garden Eden, leading to the fall and corruption of humanity.

Question 3

Augustine
3.God’s Permissive Will

Answer 3

Augustine suggested that while God is all-good and all-powerful, he permits evil to exist as part of his divine plan.

The presence of evil serves as a greater purpose in God’s overarching plan for the world, even though it nay bot be clear to human.

Question 4

Hick
Soul- Making Theodicy

Answer 4

Hick proposed that the presence of evil serves as a purpose in the development of human souls.

He argued that evil and suffering are necessary for the moral and spiritual growth, enabling individuals to develop virtues such as compassion, courage and resilience.

Question 5

Hick
Epistemic Distance

Answer 5

God to allow genuine moral development and free will, maintains a certain distance that makes the existence of evil a necessary component of human growth and choice

Question 6

Hick
World as a role of soul-making

Answer 6

Hick viewed the world as a place where souls are developed and refined through experiences, including the confrontation with evil and suffering.

According his theodicy, these challenges contribute to the ultimate god of human spiritual development.