Ronald E. Osborn. Death Before the Fall: Biblical Literalism and the Problem of Animal Suffering. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014. This book suffers from a serious identity crisis. On the face (that is, the cover) of it, the book purports to provide an in-depth theological analysis of the problem of natural evil generally and animal […]
theodicy
The problem of suffering and the Napkin Note Dad
Pain, C.S. Lewis famously said, is God’s megaphone to wake up a sleeping world. The problem of evil is undeniable: why pain and suffering? And why so much of it? And why the seemingly random distribution of it? However, just as one can trivially go through life seeing cups as half empty or half full, so […]
Is God a user? A response to Nate’s Principle
It’s Saturday morning, I’m sitting with a coffee by the fireplace, and the balloon is watching me. (He’s hovering over the kitchen table at the moment. At least he’s still smiling.) Now that I have some time I can offer some thoughts on “Evil and Nate’s Principle“. Please click the link to read Nate’s comments. […]
Will cowards inherit the kingdom of God?
In the thread to “A Martian’s perspective on the problem of evil” Ray Ingles posed a problem with the greater goods response to evil. Why, for example, would God subject people to evils to cultivate in them the greater good of courage if courage will not be required in eternity? As he put it, “Why […]
A Martian’s perspective on the problem of evil
In the following extended excerpt from Wandering in Darkness Eleonore Stump provides a response to the overly dismissive critics of theodicy (and defense) (a theodicy seeks to explain why God allows suffering; a defense offers a possible explanation for why God allows suffering). The passage nicely marginalizes the incredulity of the critic even as it […]
Wandering in Darkness: A Review
Eleonore Stump. Wandering in Darkness: Narrative and the Problem of Suffering. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. There is no greater intellectual and practical objection to Christian faith than the problem of evil. Analytic philosophy offers powerful tools of logical analysis to explain the precise nature of the problem and offer positive solutions. At the same […]
Does Greater Goods theodicy undermine moral action?
“Randal, if God exists and chooses not to intervene (because of the furtherance of a greater good) and “God-permit” the rape/murder of a child, why should you intervene to stop the evil act? If you choose to intervene, how do you know that you have not prevented a greater good from happening?” The Atheist Missionary […]
Holy War in the Bible: A Review
Holy War in the Bible: Christian Morality and an Old Testament Problem. Downers Grove, Il: IVP Academic, 2013. 352 pp. In recent years scholarly and popular discussion of biblical violence, ethics and war have increased significantly. Holy War in the Bible is an important addition to that growing body of literature. Thankfully, the editors have adopted […]
Can there be reasonable nonbelief if God exists?
In the discussion thread to “Why they don’t believe: Jeffery Jay Lowder“, Bryan asked me to provide my critique of Schellenberg’s argument from God or Godless. I replied first by presenting Schellenberg’s argument as it was quoted by John Loftus: (1) If there is a God, he is perfectly loving. (2) If a perfectly loving God […]
Heaven and the Value in Achievement Thesis
In answer to the question “Why were we created here and not just directly into heaven?” I argued: “that there is intrinsic value in undergoing the personal history that brings you to a particular place or makes you into a particular kind of person which is simply not retained by creating the end product without […]
Heaven and the suffering of infants now
In “Why were we created here and not just directly into heaven?” I explained that there is value in a moral history, and this is one reason why human beings were created as finite, imperfect creatures who can grow into the perfection toward which we’ve been called. Jason Thibodeau responded with, gulp, sarcasm: “Babies who […]
Check out my Beliefnet article on evil
The title says it all. I just published an article with Beliefnet called “Facing Evil: Why Christians and Atheists Need Each Other.” In the article I argue that each side has a challenge to the other when it comes to thinking through the profound problem of evil in the world.
Do atheists receive a ‘get out of hell free’ card because they don’t believe in God?
In a recent conversation with Adam Hazzard I wrote: “The Christian doctrine of hell is the doctrine that some people culpably and knowingly choose not to be in relationship with God.” To be sure, hell is not only that, but it is at least that. It is most emphatically not the claim that God tricks […]
The Reason for Hell: A critical engagement with Timothy Keller (Part 3)
In the previous installment of this series I pointed out how Keller endorses C.S. Lewis’ dubious account of hell as self-inflicted torment. As Keller says, “hell is simply one’s freely chosen identity apart from God on a trajectory into infinity.” (80) What this view lacks in biblical support it more than makes up for in […]
