Definition of Theodicy

From the two Greek words meaning "God" and "justice" comes the word theodicy. Webster's Dictionary defines theodicy as the "defense of God's goodness and omnipotence in view of the existence of evil". A philosophical study, theodicy sets out to prove God as all-loving and all-knowing. Theodicy is chiefly concerned with the God of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Some believe this study can prove or disprove the existence of God.

Critics

Critics of theodicy mention the existence of evil and state that if God is all-loving, then God must either be unwilling or not able to rid the world of evil. How could a loving God tolerate evil in the world and not save humans from despair and suffering that evil will cause? This is the crux of most arguments against theodicy.

History

In 1710, Gottfried Leibniz wrote "Theodicy: Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil". This was the first time in modern history that the word "theodicy" was used. Gottfried's essay was written to prove that the existance of evil does not contradict the goodness of God and that the current state of the world is the best condition possible.

Today, many theologians and philosophers still use theodicy as an argument for or against God. Many religions still use theodicy to help buttress their belief in an omnipotent and loving God. Still others believe theodicy is inherently a definition of evil. No matter what the conclusion, theodicy is the study of God in the face of evil existing in the same world.