Theodicies and the Problem Of Evil: An Examination of Three Significant Theories
Submitted to Dr Garry Graves
Douglas Kuhl
THEO 525 Systematic Theology
April 7, 2023
Contents
Research Paper: Outline Template..............................................................................................1
Research Topic...............................................................................................................................1
Research Question.........................................................................................................................1
Thesis Statement............................................................................................................................1
Outline............................................................................................................................................1
I. Introduction (1 page) How do Theodicies Address the Problem of Evil in the
Context of the Doctrine of God?.........................................................................................1
II. Overview (2 pages)..................................................................................................3
III. Point One: Free Will Defense (3 pages): The Role of Human Choice in the
Existence of Evil..................................................................................................................4
IV. Point Two: Soul-Building Theodicy (3 pages): Understanding Suffering as a
Means of Spiritual Growth..................................................................................................6
V. Point Three: The Theodicy of the Best Possible World. (2 Pages).........................7
VI. Conclusion (3 page).................................................................................................8
Bibliography.................................................................................................................................11
ii
1
Research Paper: Outline Template
Research Topic
The focus of this paper is Theodicies and the Problem Of Evil: An Examination of Three
Significant Theories
Research Question
How do theodicies address evil, grief, and suffering in the Doctrine of God?
Thesis Statement
This paper will analyze three theodicies that address evil and suffering in a world created
by a loving and all-powerful God.
Outline
I. Introduction (1 page) How do Theodicies Address the Problem of Evil in the Context
of the Doctrine of God?
A. Introduce the Research Question: How do theodicies address the problem of evil
in the context of the Doctrine of God?
1. Start with what is theodicy:
a. “’Theodicy’ is composed of two Greek words: theos, which is the
word for “God,” and dikei, meaning what is “just” or “right.” Thus
a theodicy is an attempt to vindicate the justice of God in his
actions.”1 “Insofar as the Old Testament offers a theodicy (an
1 James Montgomery Boice, Philip Graham Ryken, and R. C. Sproul, The Doctrines of Grace:
Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2002).
2
explanation of the justice of God in the face of counter-evidence),
it isn’t couched in the terms of later philosophy, but in the
narrative of God and the world, and particularly the story of God
and Israel.”2
b. “The justification of God.” The vindication of God’s love and
providence in view of the sin, evil, and suffering in the world.”3
2. What is the doctrine of God: ”The doctrine of God is the horizon of all
Christian theology. It’s built into the very name “theology”: it’s “logos
about theos“—that is, “speech about God.” That’s why people
sometimes call the doctrine of God “theology proper,” meaning that
theology is actually talking about the doctrine of who God is in his
essence, in his existence, in his attributes, and in his eternal being as
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”4
B. This paper examines how theodicies address the coexistence of evil and suffering
in a world created by an all-loving, all-powerful God, shedding light on God's
nature and human suffering.
II. Overview (2 pages)
A. Briefly introduce the topic of theodicies and the problem of evil.
2 N. T. Wright, Evil and the Justice of God (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2006),
23.
3 Stanley M. Horton, ed., Systematic Theology: Revised Edition (Springfield, MO: Logion Press, 2007),
652.
4 Fred Sanders, “The Doctrine of the Triune God,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al.
(Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).
3
B. Mention the significance of the topic in theological discourse.
1. “One of the most vexing questions asked within the context of religious
community, regardless of geographic location, involves the nature and
meaning of moral *evil, commonly phrased this way: Why is there so
much *suffering in the world?”.
2. Gerrit Cornelis Berkouwer a key evangelical theologian of the twentieth
century concludes: “ that “the problem of theodicy is insoluble outside
of a faith that knows the limits of human reason.”.
3. Berkouwer’s statement highlights the idea that theodicy, the attempt to
reconcile the existence of evil with the belief in a good and powerful
God, ultimately requires a humble recognition of the limitations of
human understanding and the necessity of faith.
C. Provide an overview of the structure of the paper. This paper will delve into the
intricate ways theodicies attempt to grapple with the coexistence of evil and
suffering in a world crafted by an all-loving and omnipotent God, shedding light
on the multifaceted nature of God and the human encounter with suffering.
D. Conclude with the Thesis Statement: In this paper, we will delve into three
theodicies that grapple with the existence of evil and suffering in a world crafted
by a benevolent and omnipotent deity.
III. Point One: Free Will Defense (3 pages): The Role of Human Choice in the Existence
of Evil
A. Christian apologists have extensively supported and refined the free will defense
to counter the notion that God could be held accountable for evil.
4
B. Critics of the free will defense according to D.A. Carson can be divided into “two
quite different camps.”.
1. Some aim to disprove the free will defense by showing the logical
impossibility of a God who is both omnipotent and good. They may
argue that God is not omnipotent or not good, potentially causing
skepticism about God’s existence.
2. Another group, including some theists, challenges the free will defense
by questioning the compatibility of human freedom with divine
sovereignty. They do not definitively conclude that God is evil or less
than omnipotent, nor do they believe that human responsibility loses its
meaning.
C. The free-will defense is the fundamental theodicy within the Augustinian
tradition of theodicy.
1. According to the Pauline-Augustinian tradition, evil has a dual purpose:
it arises from human free will, but ultimately achieves God's plan for a
greater good. In this view, evil is a necessary element in the grand
scheme of divine providence, leading to a deeper understanding of God's
justice and mercy. “The evil of humans is interpreted as functional to the
good, and the wrath of God is an aspect of his love.”5
2. Augustine's theodicy, also known as the Augustinian theodicy, centers
around the idea that evil is the result of the misuse of free will.
Augustine argued that God created humans with free will, allowing them
5 Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Academic, 2001), 412.
5
to choose between good and evil. He believed that evil is not a substance
created by God but rather the absence or privation of good. According to
Augustine, God is not responsible for evil; rather, it is the result of
humans choosing to deviate from the good.
3. Augustine's theodicy also emphasizes the concept of original sin, that all
humans inherit a sinful nature from Adam and Eve's disobedience in the
Garden of Eden. Inherited sin leads to evil, but Christ's sacrifice offers
redemption and triumph over evil.
4. “Without free choice, neither good nor evil could be chosen. Hence, if
man is ever to choose the good, he must have the freedom to choose evil
as well. Therefore, since free will is the cause of evil, imperfection (evil)
can arise from the perfect (not directly, but indirectly, through freedom).
In other words, whereas God created the fact of freedom, man performs
the acts of freedom. God made evil possible; creatures make it actual.”6
IV. Point Two: Soul-Building Theodicy (3 pages): Understanding Suffering as a Means
of Spiritual Growth
A. The soul-building theodicy proposes that God utilizes the world, with all its
suffering and pain, as a means to refine humans and mold them into His likeness,
considering evil as a necessary instrument to achieve ultimate good.
B. Developed by Irenaeus in the second century.
6 Sinclair B. Ferguson and J.I. Packer, New Dictionary of Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,
2000), 242.
6
1. “This theodicy sees humans as created in God’s image but not yet
mature in His likeness, requiring refinement through life’s challenges.”7
2. “Irenaeus Second-century ad church father and bishop of Lyons in
Gaul. One of the foremost early Christian theologians. Defended the
orthodoxy of Christian doctrine.”8
C. “The most noteworthy form of this view in recent years is that of John Hick, who
begins by suggesting that God’s intent in creating man was not to create a perfect
creature, but rather to create a being in need of moral development.”.
D. Jeffery Niehaus’s discussion of God as the “judge of all the earth” (Gn 18:25) can
be tied to the soul-building theodicy in the following way. The mention of God’s
judgments in the context of theodicy suggests that the soul-building theodicy sees
God’s actions, including judgments, as part of a larger plan to bring about good,
even in the midst of evil and suffering. This perspective emphasizes the belief that
God’s judgments are ultimately just and aimed at bringing about a greater good in
the lives of individuals and the world. 9
E. “Paul taught that suffering, presumably that by Christians, “produces endurance”
(Rom. 5:3–4a, RSV) or “perseverance” (NIV) and that “endurance” or
“perseverance” “produces character” (RSV). He interpreted his own “thorn in the
flesh” as having been the occasion through which he had learned the sufficiency
7 David Atkinson, The Message of Job: Suffering and Grace, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible
Speaks Today (Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1991), 99.
8 Charles Meeks, “Irenaeus,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2016).
9 Jeffrey J. Niehaus, Biblical Theology: The Common Grace Covenants, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Lexham
Press, 2014), 239.
7
of God’s grace and Christ’s power as manifested in his own weakness (2 Cor.
12:7–9).”.
V. Point Three: The Theodicy of the Best Possible World. (2 Pages)
A. According to Gottfried Leibniz, God foreordains all things through
foreknowledge without forcing free will, viewing freedom as the spontaneity of
an intellectual being.
B. Leibniz posits that God has an antecedent will for only good and a consequent
will to bring about the best world possible despite the existence of evil.
C. Leibniz attempts to address the problem of evil by arguing that the existence of
evil is compatible with the existence of a benevolent and all-powerful God
because this world, with all its imperfections, is the best possible world that God
could have created.
D. Quote: “Leibniz viewed God as a free and rational being, a being who could have
created any type of world that he desired. He believed that God must have
created the best of all possible worlds, one in which men are rewarded and
punished according to their conduct. God is not responsible for evil. Evil is the
result of human freedom.”.
VI. Conclusion (3 page)
A. Recap of Key Points
1. God’s Omniscience, Omnipotence, and Omni benevolence: Reconciling
Divine Attributes with the Existence of Evil
8
2. The Mystery of God’s Ways: Embracing the Limits of Human
Understanding
3. The Transformative Power of Faith: Finding Meaning and Hope in the
Midst of Suffering
4. Thanks to the smartphone and the web, you are confronted on a daily basis
with more information than any previous generation had to deal with! And
it’s not just information; it’s theLsufferingLof the entire planet, in minute
detail, served up on your feed daily.10
B. Reflection on the Complexity of the Problem of Evil:
1. The book of Job serves to distinguish theology from theodicy, suggesting
that ultimately, faith in Yahweh’s justice must be accepted rather than
comprehensively reasoned out. Incorporating Job’s theological reflections
into the discussion of Theodicies “This sometimes means using our
theology to address the reality of suffering, both the spiritual suffering that
comes from sin and the physical suffering that stems from injustice. The
challenge is that confronting either form of suffering will inevitably lead
us into conflict with the powers and principalities as well as the rulers of
the age.”11
2. “God’s own Theodicy, or vindication of Himself, is exhibited in the free
gift of the Second Adam. Original sin sprang from the federal constitution
10 John Eldredge, Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad (Nashville,
Tennessee: Nelson Books, 2020), 4
11 Keith L. Johnson, Theology as Discipleship (InterVarsity Press Academic, 2015), 175–176.
9
of the race: one in the unity of the unlimited many. But the many are one
in recovery as well as in sin. As surely as sin and death passed through to
the race, so surely from Christ did grace pass through.”12
3. “Paul believed thatLGod’s answer to evilLwas revealed in the Messiah’s
death, resurrection, and ascension, and that this answer was being worked
out in practice by the divine spirit, not least in shaping and energizing his
people to carry forward his purposes.”13
C. Call to Further Reflection and Dialogue on the Nature of God and the Human
Experience of Suffering. N.T. Wright, A leading Bible scholar and conservative
theologian, highlights the theological framework within which theodicies and the
problem of evil can be understood. By emphasizing God’s righteousness and
faithfulness, he provides a framework to understand theodicies and find hope in
eventual restoration.14
12
William Burt Pope, A Compendium of Christian Theology: Being Analytical Outlines of a Course of
Theological Study, Biblical, Dogmatic, Historical, Volumes 1-3, vol. 2 (London: Beveridge and Co., 1879), 62.
13 N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird. The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History,
Literature, and Theology of the First Christians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2019), 371.
14
N. T. Wright, Paul and the Faithfulness of God, vol. 4, Christian Origins and the Question of God
(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2013), 802.
10
Bibliography
Atkinson, David. The Message of Job: Suffering and Grace, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball,
The Bible Speaks Today. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1991.
Bock, Darrell L, and Mikel Del Rosario. “The Table Briefing: The New Atheism and the
Problem of Evil.”LBibliotheca SacraL171, no. 684 (October 2014): 472–77.
Carson, Donald A. Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: Biblical Perspectives in
Tension. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2002.
Carson, Donald A. “God, the Bible and Spiritual Warfare: A Review Article.”LJournal of the
Evangelical Theological SocietyL42, no. 2 (June 1999): 251–69.
Cook, Matthew A. “Evil and the Evidence for God: The Challenge of John Hick’s
Theodicy.”LJournal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyL39, no. 3 (September 1996): 506–7.
Eldredge, John. Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad. Nashville,
Tennessee: Nelson Books, 2020.
Eldredge, Samuel and John Eldrege. Killing Lions: A Guide Through the Trials Young Men
Face. Nashville, Tennessee: Nelson Books, 2014.
Elwell, Walter, A. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: Second Edition. Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Academic, 2001.
Ferguson, Sinclair B., and J.I. Packer, New Dictionary of Theology. Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 2000.
Helseth, Paul Kjoss. “On Divine Ambivalence: Open Theism and the Problem of Particular
Evils.”LJournal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyL44, no. 3 (September 2001): 493–
511.
Hicks, Derek S. and Anthony B. Pinn, “Theodicy,” ed. William A. Dyrness and Veli-Matti
Kärkkäinen, Global Dictionary of Theology: A Resource for the Worldwide Church.
Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2008.
Horton,Stanley M. ed., Systematic Theology: Revised Edition. Springfield, MO: Logion Press,
2007.
James Leo Garrett, James L. Jr. Systematic Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Evangelical,
Fourth Edition., vol. 1. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2014.
Johnson, Keith L. Theology as Discipleship. InterVarsity Press Academic, 2015.
Magoun, Herbert William. “The Problem of Evil.”LBibliotheca SacraL90, no. 357 (January 1933):
11
36–48.
Meeks, Charles. “Irenaeus,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham,
WA: Lexham Press, 2016
Niehaus, Jeffrey J., Biblical Theology: The Common Grace Covenants, vol. 1. Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2014.
Peterson, Michael L. “Christian Theism and the Problem of Evil.”LJournal of the Evangelical
Theological SocietyL21, no. 1 (March 1978): 35–46.
Pope, William B., A Compendium of Christian Theology: Being Analytical Outlines of a Course
of Theological Study, Biblical, Dogmatic, Historical, Volumes 1-3, vol. 2. London:
Beveridge and Co., 1879.
Sanders, Fred “The Doctrine of the Triune God,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward
et al. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018.
Scott, Mark S M. “Suffering and Soul-Making: Rethinking John Hick’s Theodicy.”LThe Journal
of ReligionL90, no. 3 (July 2010): 313–34.
Sproul, R. C. ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition)
Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015.
Wall, Robert W. “The Problem of Observed Pain: A Study of C S Lewis on Suffering.”LJournal
of the Evangelical Theological SocietyL26, no. 4 (December 1983): 443–51
Walton, John H and Tremper Longman III, How to Read Job. Downers Grove, IL: IVP
Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2015.
Watts, Gary L.,“G. C. Berkouwer,” ed. Walter A. Elwell, Handbook of Evangelical Theologians.
Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1998.
Wright, Nicholas T., Evil and the Justice of God. London: Society for Promoting Christian
Knowledge, 2006.
Wright, Nicholas T., Paul and the Faithfulness of God, vol. 4, Christian Origins and the
Question of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2013.
Wright, Nicholas T. and Michael F. Bird. The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to
the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians. Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Zondervan, 2019.
