On Sunday January 4, I preached on not being afraid because we can trust in God’s provision, presence, and power. There was a question on the text line about some really bad things happening in the world, and that’s the topic of this next Sunday (01.11). So rather than try to do justice to the question here, let’s define the issue. The branch of Theology proper that wrestles with issues like this is called “Theodicy.”
”Here is what Google says (while it’s obviously from a secular point of view, it’s a fair overview):
the·od·i·cy
/THēˈädəsē/
noun: theodicy; plural noun: theodicies
- the vindication of divine goodness and providence in view of the existence of evil.
“the question of theodicy”
Key Ideas in Theodicy:
- The Problem: How can a perfect God permit bad things?.
- Free Will Defense: God gave humans free will, and evil comes from people misusing it, not God.
- Soul-Making: Suffering helps people develop virtues like bravery, empathy, and spiritual maturity.
- Best of All Possible Worlds: Some argue this is the best world God could create, with evil as a necessary contrast to good.
- Future Hope: Suffering is temporary, and God will ultimately defeat evil and suffering.
Essentially, theodicy tries to make sense of evil without blaming God, often by pointing to human choice or spiritual growth as reasons for its existence
And now you know!
Grace Notes 