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.

Comments

[chris]

I love Hodge's "obliged to assume." It is the basis of many if not all bad theologies, that we assume a certain premise and then rationalize to prove it.

The basic point of assumption in this argument is: 'Why would a good God allow bad things to happen to good people?' Of course this requires an understanding of what defines bad things or good people, both which seem to be suppositions that are pillars within the argument . An obliged assumption if you will. Of course typically the only statement in this argument that is open to discussion seems to be the goodness of God. What great arguments we humans tend to assume while sorting out the fixed truths to suit.

A point that you make in your testimony regarding this seems very relevant.

...it sure seems like Paul has a different definition of good than I do. And it turns out, if we read on to verse 29, that he does.

What is good according to Paul? What is good according to God’s purpose, his plan? It’s conforming me to the image of His Son.

It would seem to me you planned this correlation. ;)

[rebecca]

It would seem to me you planned this correlation. ;)

Not really, but I do think a lot about God's good purposes for creation, so it's a theme that recurs here a lot.

You are right about the assumptions that lead to bad theology.

In the quote you have from my testimony, if I were going to draw it out, I'd say that God's good for us is conforming us to the image of his Son, but there is an even higher, overarching purpose--God's glory. The ultimate purpose of the whole redemption process (and conforming us to Christ's image is part of redemption) is "to the praise of his glory" (See the quote from Ephesians 1 above.)

So a righteous God purposefully allows sin and evil in creation because he is glorified by saving people and creation from the effects of sin. In that way, the presence of evil leads to ultimate good--the glorification of God, revealing, among other things, the extent of his graciousness.