Irenaeus' Theodicy

The strengths and weaknesses of Irenaeus' theodicy and not advantages and disadvantages but this is a good layout process

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Irenaeus' Theodicy

Advantages

  • John Hick - the world is the vale of soul-making and suffering will be compensated
  • Offers an explanation for suffering as well as moral and natural evil
  • Swinburne - everything has a greater good and sometimes the good is free will e.g holocaust was evil but victims will be compensated in heaven
  • Basil Mitchel - Jesus died to take away our sin, so we can go to heaven which is supported by eschatological justice
  • The concept of humans progressively improving fits in with evolution

Disadvantages

  • Eschatological justification requires a belief in life after death
  • Some people suffer considerably more than others, why has God singled them out? Is he bias?
  • Would a loving God use evil? Surely there are more humane waays about allowing people to develop in the likeness of God?
  • No explanation as to why God didn't create humans morally perfect
  • Suffering leads some people to lose faith which does not teach a lesson in soul-making
  • Some people are unable to benefit from suffering (babies/disabled people) and so they do not learn a lesson or develop
  • God could teach lessons with a lesser degree of pain as the ends don't seem to always justify the means

Evaluation

Irenaeus proposed the idea that God created humans as imperfect to evolve in his image but this does not explain why he didn't make morally perfect humans who still have to become in God's image. Although this does offer an explanation towards the problems of evil, there are still issues with the inconsistent triad and why God used these methods. The fact that some people suffer significantly more lead people to lose faith and turn away from God, rather than 'learn a lesson' and for this to be a convincing argument against the problem of evil, surely God would not allow such unhumane methods and people could learn through less pain.

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BEN027

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Great resource! Thank you very much!