Christian theodicies

john hick, free will, irenaean + augustinian theodicies

The Irenaean Theodicy

Human suffering is a part of soulmaking, and once we’ve learned from our mistakes, we are closer to God + can go to heaven

God deliberately created evil so humans could decide the option to take

evil is necessary for free will and is a learning experience

The augustinian theodicy

evil is the lack of good

through human free will evil can exist

god doesn’t intervene as evil is necessary for us to have free will and for us to have control

how did john hick defend god

“the harshness of life gives us character that wouldn’t be possible without an imperfect world”

how is free will a defence of god

god could stop evil but there is more good from us being free than everything being good