Evil and the God of Love

Hick, John

doi:10.1007/978-1-349-18048-6

Cited by 72 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…One hundred and eighty-five people lost their lives. Philosophers have plausibly argued that natural disasters such as the Christchurch earthquake are rationally incompatible with the existence of an all-powerful, all-loving God, because natural disasters cause pointless suffering to innocents, which a compassionate power would never permit [77]–[79]. Though faith eroded elsewhere in New Zealand, there was a significant upturn in religious faith among those who experienced the misery of New Zealand's most lethal natural disaster in eighty years.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Faith after an Earthquake: A Longitudinal Study of Religion and Perceived Health before and after the 2011 Christchurch New Zealand Earthquake

Sibley

Bulbulia²

2012

PLoS ONE

157

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

On 22 February 2011, Christchurch New Zealand (population 367,700) experienced a devastating earthquake, causing extensive damage and killing one hundred and eighty-five people. The earthquake and aftershocks occurred between the 2009 and 2011 waves of a longitudinal probability sample conducted in New Zealand, enabling us to examine how a natural disaster of this magnitude affected deeply held commitments and global ratings of personal health, depending on earthquake exposure. We first investigated whether the earthquake-affected were more likely to believe in God. Consistent with the Religious Comfort Hypothesis, religious faith increased among the earthquake-affected, despite an overall decline in religious faith elsewhere. This result offers the first population-level demonstration that secular people turn to religion at times of natural crisis. We then examined whether religious affiliation was associated with differences in subjective ratings of personal health. We found no evidence for superior buffering from having religious faith. Among those affected by the earthquake, however, a loss of faith was associated with significant subjective health declines. Those who lost faith elsewhere in the country did not experience similar health declines. Our findings suggest that religious conversion after a natural disaster is unlikely to improve subjective well-being, yet upholding faith might be an important step on the road to recovery.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Faith after an Earthquake: A Longitudinal Study of Religion and Perceived Health before and after the 2011 Christchurch New Zealand Earthquake

Sibley

Bulbulia²

2012

PLoS ONE

157

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…By using this concept he goes beyond the data of faith and becomes entangled in the dangers of philosophical construction. 68 Furthermore, it makes no rational sense to attribute the existence of das Nichtige to God's not-willing. Does that mean that God unwillingly brings forth evil through His creative acts?…”

Section: Karl Barthmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Augustinian Type of Theodicy: Is It Outdated?

Vorster¹

2011

J Reform Theol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In his famous work 'Evil and the God of love,' John Hick suggests that the 'Augustinian' type of theodicy is based on an outdated worldview and ought to be replaced by what he calls an 'Irenaean' type of theodicy. This article examines Hick's claim by analyzing the views of the three main theological exponents of the Augustinian paradigm on evil namely Augustine, John Calvin and Karl Barth. It suggests that Reformed theology rethinks its linear concept of time and considers the possibility that the Fall could be an event in time with an eternal significance that works both 'backwards' and 'forwards'. The article concludes that weaknesses in the Augustinian paradigm can be resolved from within, and that no need exists for Reformed theologians to replace the Augustinian paradigm with an alternative Ireneaen paradigm that reject key Scriptural teachings on creation and sin.

show abstract

“…The kind of analogy that is appropriate to his doctrine of creation is that of the Artist enjoying the products of his creative activity, rather than the Person seeking to bring about personal relationships with created persons. 6 Hick seems to suggest that an aesthetic approach is itself flawed because it cannot convey the personal and moral goodness of God.…”

Section: Critics Of the Beauty Of Hellmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Beauty of Hell? Augustine's Aesthetic Theodicy and Its Critics

Sohn¹

2007

Theology Today

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Augustine was one of the first theologians to approach the problem of evil from an aesthetic perspective. Even though Augustine is usually known as the champion of freewill theodicy, his anthropological explanation of evil is logically dependent on his aesthetic theodicy. In beauty Augustine finds a fundamental logic of contrastive harmony, which integrates even the wound of human freedom into a poem of the universe. Heaven and hell together highlight God's providential care of the world. After examining Augustine's aesthetic theodicy of harmony, I argue that there can be no eternal hell even in the Augustinian universe. God's beautiful justice will not tolerate the eternal frustration of hell.

show abstract

Evil and the God of Love

Cited by 72 publications

References 0 publications

Faith after an Earthquake: A Longitudinal Study of Religion and Perceived Health before and after the 2011 Christchurch New Zealand Earthquake

Faith after an Earthquake: A Longitudinal Study of Religion and Perceived Health before and after the 2011 Christchurch New Zealand Earthquake

The Augustinian Type of Theodicy: Is It Outdated?

The Beauty of Hell? Augustine's Aesthetic Theodicy and Its Critics

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About