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Randal Rauser

Home of progressively evangelical, generously orthodox, rigorously analytic, revolutionary Christian thinking (that's what I'm aiming for anyway)

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theodicy

You can’t judge a book by its cover: A Review of “Death Before the Fall”

May 21, 2014 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: animal suffering, creationism, evolution, fundamentalism, hermeneutics, natural evil, review, Ronald Osborn, theodicy, theology

The problem of suffering and the Napkin Note Dad

March 8, 2014 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: God, problem of evil, suffering, theodicy

Is God a user? A response to Nate’s Principle

February 1, 2014 by Randal

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. […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: apologetics, defense, Nate, problem of evil, theodicy, utilitarianism

Will cowards inherit the kingdom of God?

January 31, 2014 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: eschatology, heaven, problem of evil, theodicy

A Martian’s perspective on the problem of evil

January 30, 2014 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: apologetics, defense, Eleonore Stump, problem of evil, suffering, theodicy

Wandering in Darkness: A Review

January 28, 2014 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: apologetics, defense, Eleonore Stump, epistemology, philosophy, problem of evil, review, theodicy, Wandering in Darkness

Does Greater Goods theodicy undermine moral action?

January 24, 2014 by Randal

“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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: defense, God, problem of evil, providence, theodicy

Holy War in the Bible: A Review

June 19, 2013 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: biblical violence, ethics, hermeneutics, Holy War in the Bible, review, theodicy

Can there be reasonable nonbelief if God exists?

June 12, 2013 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: apologetics, divine hiddenness, God, J.L. Schellenberg, problem of evil, theodicy

Heaven and the Value in Achievement Thesis

May 31, 2013 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: creation, heaven, theodicy

Heaven and the suffering of infants now

May 30, 2013 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: heaven, suffering, theodicy

Check out my Beliefnet article on evil

May 1, 2013 by Randal

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.

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: atheism, evil, theodicy

Do atheists receive a ‘get out of hell free’ card because they don’t believe in God?

April 13, 2013 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: damnation, hell, theodicy

The Reason for Hell: A critical engagement with Timothy Keller (Part 3)

April 3, 2013 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: eternal conscious torment, evil, hell, resurrection, theodicy, Timothy Keller

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