Philosophy of Religion pp 60-78 | Cite as
Problems of Evil and Suffering
Abstract
For centuries it has been widely recognized that there are philosophical problems for the theist who affirms the existence of an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God on the one hand and the reality of evil on the other. In this chapter we will tackle several of the main problems of evil confronting the theist, including logical and evidential ones. In addition, we will examine several theodicies, which are attempts to explain why God permits evil. The theist is not alone in needing to provide an account of evil and suffering, however. Two of the central Indian traditions, Hinduism and Buddhism, have their own approaches to addressing the subject. Finally, what about atheism? Is it off the hook when it comes to evil? We shall see.
Keywords
Religious Tradition Logical Argument Moral Evil Skeptical Theism Evil ActionPreview
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For Further Reading
- Marilyn M. Adams, and Robert M. Adams, eds., The Problem of Evil. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.Google Scholar
- John Bowker, Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- John Hick, Evil and the God of Love, Revised ed. Harper & Row, 2007.Google Scholar
- Daniel Howard-Snyder, ed., The Evidential Argument from Evil. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1996.Google Scholar
- David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. Parts 10 and 11. Ed. H. D. Aiken New York: Hafner Publishing, 1955.Google Scholar
- C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain. New York: Macmillan, 1962.Google Scholar
- Chad Meister, Evil: A Guide for the Perplexed. London: Continuum, 2012.Google Scholar
- Chad Meister and Charles Taliaferro, general editors, The History of Evil in six volumes: Evil in Antiquity (volume one); Evil in the Middle Ages (volume two); Evil in the Early Modern Age (volume three); Evil in the 18th and 19th Centuries (volume four); Evil in the Early 20th Century (volume five); Evil from the Mid-20th Century to Today (volume six). Durham, United Kingdom: Acumen Press, forthcoming.Google Scholar
- J. L. Mackie, The Miracle of Theism. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982. (See especially his chapter on the problem of evil.)Google Scholar
- Michael L. Peterson., God and Evil: An Introduction to the Issues. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1998.Google Scholar