THE PROBLEM OF EVIL - SOLUTIONS Theodicies

AUGUSTINIAN THEODICY ST. AUGUSTINE’S THEODICY BY AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO BORN: NOVEMBER 13, 354 DIED: AUGUST 28, 430

AUGUSTINIAN THEODICY HIS THEORY IS A DEVELOPMENT OF THE FREEWILL DEFENCE. I.E. DO NOT QUOTE THE FREE WILL DEFENCE AS INDEPENDENT OF THE AUGUSTINE THEODICY AS THEY ARE BASED ON THE SAME BELIEF IN THE TRUE AUTONOMY (INDEPENDENCE) OF HUMAN BEINGS. HE BASED HIS THEORY ON KEY BIBLICAL PASSAGES: o GENESIS 1-3: THE STORY OF ADAM AND EVE AND THEIR ‘FALL’ IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN. o ROMANS 5: 12-20: ST PAUL DESCRIBES THE CHRISTIAN BELIEF THAT JESUS’ SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS WIPES OUT THE SIN COMMITTED BY ADAM AND EVE. JESUS’ SELF SACRIFICE HAS MADE AVAILABLE A BOUNDLESS GIFT, THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. HE ALSO BASED IT ON TWO ASSUMPTIONS: 1.EVIL IS NOT FROM GOD – GOD’S CREATION WAS FAULTLESS AND PERFECT 2.EVIL CAME FROM WITHIN THE WORLD.

GENESIS 1:31 “GOD SAW ALL THAT HE HAD MADE AND SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD” ACCORDING TO AUGUSTINE, GODS CREATION WAS ORIGINALLY FREE FROM EVIL. IT DID NOT EXIST BEFORE THE SIN OF ANGELS AND HUMANS. IT FIRST CAME INTO EXISTENCE WHEN THEY MISUSED THEIR FREE WILL AND TURNED FROM GOD THE WORLD GOD CREATED EX NIHILO IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO CHANGE THROUGH CORRUPTION AND DECAY. HUMANS AND ANGELS ARE PART OF THE CREATED ORDER AND THEREFOR ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO CHANGE AND HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO TURN AWAY FROM GOD IT IS THIS TURNING (WHICH INVOLVES AN ACT OF FREE WILL) THAT BRINGS ABOUT EVIL. THOUGH WHY THEY ARE WILLING TO IS A MYSTERY BEYOND HUMAN UNDERSTANDING

AUGUSTINIAN THEODICY IT HINGES ON THE IDEA THAT EVIL IS A PRIVATION (DEPRIVING SOMEBODY OF SOMETHING). HE USES THE ANALOGY OF BLINDNESS – BLINDNESS IS NOT AN ‘ENTITY’, BUT AN ABSENCE OF SIGHT. IN OTHER WORDS THE EYE IS PERFECTLY GOOD, THE EVIL IS THE BLINDNESS. ST. AUGUSTINE ACCOUNTS FOR EVIL BY ASCRIBING IT TO HUMAN AGENCY. EVIL CAME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF THE MISUSE OF FREE WILL. 1ALL SUFFERING IS THEREFORE A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS ABUSE OF FREE WILL. 2NATURAL EVIL IS CAUSED BY THE IMBALANCE IN NATURE BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE FALL. 3MORAL EVIL IS CAUSED BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS BECOME ESTRANGED FROM GOD, AND IMMORALITY HAS BEEN ABLE TO THRIVE. ALL HUMANS ARE DESCENDED FROM ADAM (SEMINALLY PRESENT) THUS ALL HUMANS SHARE ADAMS GUILT AND SIN AND AS SUCH ALL DESERVE TO FACE THE SAME PUNISHMENT

HOWEVER, GOD HAS NOT RELINQUISHED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WORLD. IF GOD WERE SIMPLY JUST, EVERYONE WOULD BE SUITABLE PUNISHED. INSTEAD, GOD’S GRACE BROUGHT ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF RECONCILIATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, WHOSE CRUCIFIXION SAVED A CERTAIN NUMBER FROM ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. IT IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE SOUL-DECIDING THEODICY AS IT IS CONCERNED WITH JUDGEMENT.

THE ‘HAPPY MISTAKE’ WHY DID GOD CHOOSE TO CREATE THIS UNIVERSE EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW HUMANS WOULD ABUSE IT AND SIN? GOD JUDGED THAT IT WAS BETTER TO BRING GOOD OUT OF EVIL THAN NOT TO PERMIT EVIL TO EXIST AT ALL REDEMPTION CAN BE FOUND THROUGH JESUS ALLOWING HUMANS TO GET CLOSE TO GOD ONCE MORE AND BE REUNITED IN THE AFTERLIFE

AUGUSTINE’S THEODICY IN SUMMARY This brought about ‘disharmony’ both in our human nature and in Creation. We all share in the evil nature Brought about by Adam and Eve, because we were ‘seminally’ Present in them. We therefore deserve to be punished. Natural Evil is a consequence Of the disharmony of nature brought about by the Fall. Human action brought it about. God is justified in not intervening, because the suffering is a consequence of human action. God is perfect. The world he created reflected that perfection. Evil is not a substance – it is a deprivation. Sin and death entered The world through Adam And Eve, and their disobedience.

SUMMARY OF AUGUSTINIAN THEODICY SOUL-DECIDING -CONCERNED WITH JUDGEMENT GOD LIKE - MAN IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD AUTONOMY - MAN WITH TRUE MORAL AUTONOMY FALL - FREEDOM LEADS TO THE FALL SUFFERING - FREE WILL LEADS TO SUFFERING CHRIST - MAN REDEEMED THROUGH CHRIST FORESAW - GOD FORESAW THE FALL PRIVATION - EVIL IS A PRIVATION Task: Come up with a song/rap/cartoon to remember the key features of the Augustinian theodicy