The History of Theodicy

Theodicy is the question of the justice of God, deriving from the Greek words for God and judgment. The question asks how a benevolent and powerful God could allow suffering and evil in the world. The question has been asked in various ways throughout history, and many scholars, theologians, and philosophers have contributed to the discussion.

Early phrasing

Epicurus asked this question back in ancient times. He stated that if God is willing to prevent suffering but not able, he is impotent. If he is able but not willing, he is malevolent. Why then does suffering exist?

Modern contributors

While the question has puzzled theologians throughout history, two significant contributors in the era of Modern Philosophy are Gottfried Leibniz and David Hume. Leibniz, who believed in God, argued that God had created the best of all possible worlds, and that the suffering in this world is the minimal and most necessary in comparison to all of the options. Hume, an atheist, rehashed and publicized the argument of Epicurus. John Calvin, the Protestant reformer of the sixteenth century, argued that God caused suffering for his own mysterious purposes.

Contemporary thought

In contemporary thought, the approach to the problem of suffering has diversified. Philosophers like Alvin Plantinga have argued that the existence of a benevolent, powerful God and of evil are not rationally inconsistent. Other philosophers, like John Roth and Elie Wiesel, have argued that in the post-Holocaust era, the only appropriate existential response to the question of theodicy is a cry of protest.

Theologians continue to puzzle over and debate the question of suffering. The apparent contradictions between God's goodness, God's power, and the existence of evil and suffering remain a provocative mystery.