Irenaeus' Theodicy
- Created by: Grace Lidgett
- Created on: 06-01-13 14:38
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- Irenaeus' theodicy
- answer to why there is evil in the world
- Moral evil
- Man was created imperfect
- The purpose of life is to move from imperfection to perfection
- This is called soul-making
- Humans were created 'in the image of God' but not in his likeness - we have to move to his likeness by decreasing the epistemic distance between us
- We are given free will because without it we would not be able to soul-make
- By giving us free will God had to allow the possibility of evil and suffering
- Humans abused their freedom and caused suffering
- Any suffering on earth will be compensated when we reach heaven
- This is ESCHATOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATION = John Hick
- E.g - those in the concentration camps will have been compensated in heaven
- Natural evil
- Closely linked to moral evil
- A human paradise would mean humans were not able to develop into the likeness of God
- John Hick - a world without suffering would make it impossible for moral growth and development
- Natural evil is in place to help characteristics in use which will reduce our epistemic distance
- Hick - the world is the 'vale of soul-making' where things happen for our own good
- Irenaeus interprets the fall literally, God had to save humanity, although Adam and Eve were not blameless,they had not yet developed sufficient wisdom to do what is right
- E.g an army captures people for slaves and some of them have the captives children
- Irenaeus suggests that it would be unjust if the rescuers only saved the children and not the parents. In the same way God saves Adam and Eve and their descendents
- E.g an army captures people for slaves and some of them have the captives children
- Irenaeus suggests that it would be unjust if the rescuers only saved the children and not the parents. In the same way God saves Adam and Eve and their descendents
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