Is There a Role For a Theodicy?
One of the difficulties of theism is explaining how a good and all-powerful God can allow suffering. The attempt to explain this is called a theodicy.
There are many different theodicies and the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy provides a sample here.
My purpose here is not to evaluate the different theories but to ask if we should have a theodicy at all.
Some people are critical of theodicies, arguing at best they are unconvincing and at worst they are dangerous.
I am sympathetic of these concerns as I have been on the receiving end of people’s attempts to explain why God was allowing my suffering. It was never helpful. It was often hurtful.
We need to remember that the book of Job is not a theodicy but is rather a critique of contemporary theodicies. The standard theodicy was that God allowed suffering as a punishment for sin. Job’s friends were wrong.
As a pastor, I never try to explain why a person is suffering. Even if they explicitly ask: “Why is God letting this happen?” I will not give an answer.
For one reason, I don’t know why God is letting them suffer. For another, an intellectual answer is not what they need. What they need is love and community and presence.
That might sound like I completely dismiss theodicies. I do not. I do believe they have a place. Just not in the midst of actual suffering.
Reflecting on theodicies is helpful in developing a Christian worldview and thinking about the nature of God. These are natural questions to ask.
We just need to do it with a tremendous amount of humility and be prepared to change our mind as we experience suffering in our own life.
Is there a role for a theodicy? Yes. But at the proper time and for the proper reasons. Explaining away suffering to a person who is hurting doesn’t fit either criteria.
“For one reason, I don’t know why God is letting them suffer. For another, an intellectual answer is not what they need. What they need is love and community and presence.”
many Christians claim this but in reality they are sure that they know why this god can’t/won’t do anything about suffering. The bible itself says that suffering is because this god wants to hurt people as punishment or to show off. To wring your hands and claim “I just don’t know” is ignoring this.
The Bible actually doesn’t say that all suffering is punishment. In fact it explicitly denies this.
okay, where?
okay, where does it say this?
wasn’t sure if I needed to sign in a certain way or not.
Read the book of Job. It critiques the idea that suffering is always God’s punishment.
Sorry for the delay. I was up visiting my folks. If you are a WWII buff like i am, you might want to take a look at my latest post about my grandfather.
I had wondered if you would appeal to the Book of Job.
Well, first we have the Book of Genesis which has this god punishing Adam and Eve (and thus everyone else) with harm after throwing them out of Eden (where this god either allowed the “serpent” in or couldn’t keep it out, away from two humans that it wanted kept ignorant). So, harm and every bit of misery is indeed always punishment from this god right from the start, per your bible.
Then we have the various harms coming to people from this god as punishment, with David’s son being killed by this god as david’s punishment, which kinda shoots free will in the fool with there being no free will if you are murdered by an omnipotent being. The same for the punishment of Egypt, etc. And poor Uzzah who tried to do the right thing and your god kills him for no reason (2 Samuel 6)
But let’s get back to Job. I will agree with you that harm isn’t always punishment. It’s worse.
In this, we have a god intentionally allowing the murder of Job’s family and the harm of Job because it wants to show off to Satan after being baited by said being (who is up walking after supposedly being cursed to crawl in Genesis), who should know what this god can do. That’s all the Book of Job is about, this god showing off and then taking a tantrum when Job dares question it.
“6 One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan[b] also came among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 The LORD said to Satan,] “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.” 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 The LORD said to Satan] “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!” So Satan[h] went out from the presence of the LORD.” – all verses are from the NRSV version of the bible
We have this god showing off and harming people again in Exodus where this god hardens the pharoah’s heart to show off, and harms the Egyptian people who had no choice in the matter. It also mind controls them to give the Israelites their gold, etc. Exodus 11 has this and where this god brags that it is harming people to show off.
Then we have this god harming a child who grows into a man just to show off. “As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” – John 9
Would you like to be blind for life in such primitive times? And only getting your sight back when this god decides it needs a blood sacrifice of itself to make itself happy and has JC wandering around healing people?
And finally we have Paul stating that this god harms people by intentionally not allowing them to accept it and then damning them to eternal torture through no fault of their own. (Romans 9)
Nope, harm from your god isn’t only punishment. Your god is a miserable thing. The only good thing about these stories is that they never happened. I do wonder if this post will survive for very long before disappearing since many Christians don’t like the facts revealed about their bible and what it says.