Theological Term of the Week

theodicy

Vindication of the of the goodness and righteousness of God, given the existence of sin and evil in the world; an attempted solution to what is commonly known as “the problem of evil.”

 

• Habakkuk 1:13 (A short scriptural statement of the problem):
  

  You who are of purer eyes than to see evil
  and cannot look at wrong,
  why do you idly look at traitors
  and remain silent when the wicked swallows up
  the man more righteous than he?
  

• Ephesians 1:7-14 (A scriptural hint—and maybe more—at a solution to the problem.)
  

  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

• From the 1689 London Baptist Confession, Chapter 6:
  

  Although God created man upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, which had been unto life had he kept it, and threatened death upon the breach thereof, yet he did not long abide in this honour; Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to subdue Eve, then by her seducing Adam, who, without any compulsion, did willfully transgress the law of their creation, and the command given unto them, in eating the forbidden fruit, which God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory.

• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, page 436:

  The glory of God being the great end of all things, we are not obliged to assume that this is the best possible world for the production of happiness, or even for securing the greatest degree of holiness among rational creatures. It is wisely adapted for the end for which it was designed, namely, the manifestation of the manifold perfections of God.
  

Learn more

1. Trinity Foundation: A Biblical Theodicy
2. John A. Battle, Th.D.: How Can God Be Just and Ordain Evil?
3. Theopedia: The Problem of Evil
4. Steve Hays exposes some of the problems with a “hands-off” theodicy.

Have you come across a theological term that you don’t understand and that you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

 

Click on the graphic above to find a list of all the past Theological Terms of the Week in alphabetical order.

Theological Term of the Week

 

Augustinianism*

In this view of the nature of humankind since the fall, all human beings are corrupted by original sin, and this corrupted nature controls the human will and inclines it toward evil so that no person has ever or will ever take the first step toward a right relationship with God

 

• The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 6, 1-4:
  

  Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof.
  
  

  1. Our first parents, being seduced by the subtlety and temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory.

  2. By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.

  3. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed, and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation.

  4. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.

• From Total Depravity by Loraine Boettner: The Extent and Effects of Original Sin

  This doctrine of Total Inability, which declares that men are dead in sin, does not mean that all men are equally bad, nor that any man is as bad as he could be, nor that any one is entirely destitute of virtue, nor that human nature is evil in itself, nor that man‘s spirit is inactive, and much less does it mean that the body Is dead. What it does mean is that since the fail man rests under the curse of sin, that he is actuated by wrong principles, and that he is wholly unable to love God or to do anything meriting salvation. His corruption is extensive but not necessarily intensive.

  It is in this sense that man since the fall “is utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil.” He possesses a fixed bias of the will against God, and instinctively and willingly turns to evil. He is an alien by birth, and a sinner by choice. The inability under which he labors is not an inability to exercise volitions, but an inability to be willing to exercise holy volitions. And it is this phase of it which led Luther to declare that “Free-will is an empty term, whose reality is lost. And a lost liberty, according to my grammar, is no liberty at all.”² In matters pertaining to his salvation, the unregenerate man is not at liberty to choose between good and evil, but only to choose between greater and lesser evil, which is not properly free will. The fact that fallen man still has ability to do certain acts morally good in themselves does not prove that he can do acts meriting salvation, for his motives may be wholly wrong.

  Man is a free agent but he cannot originate the love of God in his heart. His will is free in the sense that it is not controlled by any force outside of himself. As the bird with a broken wing is “free” to fly but not able, so the natural man is free to come to God but not able. How can he repent of his sin when he loves it? How can he come to God when he hates Him? This is the inability of the will under which man labors. Jesus said, “And this is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil,” John 3:19; and again, “Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life,” John 5:40. Man‘s ruin lies mainly in his own perverse will. He cannot come because he will not. Help enough is provided if he were only willing to accept it. Paul tells us, “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. So they that are in the flesh cannot please God,” Rom. 8:7.

Learn more:

1. C. Michael Patton: What happened at the Fall? Pelagianism and Augustinianism
2. Theopedia: Augustinianism
3. A. A. Hodge: Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism and Augustinianism

Related terms:

• Pelagianism
• Semi-Pelagianism

*This definition of Augustinianism defines it as it specifically relates to the previous two theological terms defined: Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism.

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Have you come across a theological term that you don’t understand and that you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

 

Click on the graphic above to find a list of all the past Theological Terms of the Week in alphabetical order.

Theological Term of the Week

 

Semi-Pelagianism

A modified form of Pelagianism that does not deny original sin; however, in this view, original sin does not keep people from taking the first step toward a right relationship with God by an excercise of the will. This view was condemned as heretical by the Council of Orange in 529 (see below).

• A. A. Hodge in Outlines of Theology: Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism & Augustinianism:

  3. What are the three great systems of theology which have always continued to prevail in the church?
  
  Since the revelation given in the Scriptures embraces a complete system of truth, every single department must sustain many obvious relations, logical and otherwise, to every other as the several parts of one whole. The imperfect development, and the defective or exaggerated conception of any one doctrine, must inevitably lead to confusion and error throughout the entire system. For example, Pelagian views as to man’s estate by nature always tend to coalesce with Socinian views as to the Person and work of Christ. And Semipelagian views as to sin and grace are also irresistibly attracted by, and in turn attract Arminian views as to the divine attributes, the nature of the Atonement, and the work of the Spirit.
  
  There are, in fact, as we might have anticipated, but two complete self-consistent systems of Christian theology possible.

• From The Canons of the Council of Orange:

  CANON 7. If anyone affirms that we can form any right opinion or make any right choice which relates to the salvation of eternal life, as is expedient for us, or that we can be saved, that is, assent to the preaching of the gospel through our natural powers without the illumination and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who makes all men gladly assent to and believe in the truth, he is led astray by a heretical spirit, and does not understand the voice of God who says in the Gospel, “For apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), and the word of the Apostle, “Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5).
  

• From Systematic Theology by Louis Berkhof:

  [Semi-Pelagianism] admitted that the whole human race is involved in the fall of Adam, that human nature is tainted with hereditary sin, and that all men are by nature inclined to evil and not able, apart from the grace of God, to complete any good work; but denied the total depravity of man, the guilt of original sin, and the loss of the freedom of the will.

Learn more:

1. Got Questions.org: What are Pelagians and Semi-Pelagians?
2. Theopedia: Semi-Pelagianism
   
3. John Hendryx: Differences between Semi-Pelagianism and Arminian beliefs
4. Herman Bavinck: Quote on Semi-Pelagianism

Related terms:

• Augustinianism
• Pelagianism
• original sin

Have you come across a theological term that you don’t understand and that you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

 

Click on the graphic above to find a list of all the past Theological Terms of the Week in alphabetical order.

Update on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 1:22PM by rebecca

In the comments to this post, Scott Gilbreath dropped a link to the The Semi-Pelagian Narrower Catechism for our education for our edification for our amusement so threegirldad will have to buy a new keyboard.