Welcome to Unit 7: The Problem of Evil and Suffering
Hello and welcome to your study guide for Unit 7: An Introduction to Philosophy of Religion for CCEA GCSE Religious Studies (4610). In this chapter, we explore one of the biggest questions in human history: "If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why is there so much suffering in the world?"
Don't worry if this topic feels a bit deep or tricky at first! We will break everything down step-by-step with clear definitions, simple analogies, and helpful tips to get you top marks in your exam.
---1. Key Definitions: Evil and Suffering
Before jumping into philosophical arguments, let's understand the two core words used throughout this topic.
• Evil: Anything that causes suffering, harm, destruction, or is contrary to the good will of God.
• Suffering: The state of undergoing pain, distress, hardship, or physical and mental agony resulting from evil or misfortune.
The Two Types of Evil
Philosophers and examiners split evil into two distinct categories. You must know the difference between them:
1. Moral Evil (Human Evil):
This is suffering and harm caused directly by the intentional actions, cruelty, or negligence of human beings who misuse their free will.
Examples: War, murder, theft, cruelty, and poverty caused by greed.
2. Natural Evil (Non-Moral Evil):
This is suffering caused by the natural processes and mechanics of the physical world, completely independent of human choice.
Examples: Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, droughts causing famine, and genetic diseases such as cancer.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Watch out for "grey area" scenarios in exam questions! For instance, if a famine occurs because of severe lack of rain, the root cause is natural evil. However, if people starve because corrupt officials or warfare block food supplies, the primary cause is moral evil. Always look at the root cause!
Key Takeaway: Moral evil comes from human choices; natural evil comes from natural events in the world.
---2. The Nature of the Philosophical Problem: The Inconsistent Triad
Why is evil a problem for religious believers? It challenges traditional Christian beliefs about the nature of God.
God's Traditional Attributes
• Omnipotent: God is all-powerful (able to prevent or stop evil).
• Omnibenevolent: God is all-loving and perfectly good (willing and wanting to prevent evil).
• Omniscient: God is all-knowing (knows all suffering, foresees it, and knows how to stop it).
The Logical Problem (The Inconsistent Triad)
The classical problem of evil was famously highlighted by the ancient philosopher Epicurus and later developed by J. L. Mackie. It is often visualized as a triangle of three statements that cannot all be true at the same time:
1. God is Omnipotent (all-powerful).
2. God is Omnibenevolent (all-loving).
3. Evil exists.
The Logical Dilemma:
• If God is all-powerful, He could stop evil, but if He doesn't, is He truly all-loving?
• If God is all-loving, He wants to stop evil, but if He cannot, is He truly all-powerful?
• Since evil undeniably exists, critics argue that an all-powerful, all-loving God cannot exist.
Impact on Faith: The problem of evil is one of the primary intellectual arguments leading people toward atheism (belief that there is no God), agnosticism (belief that nothing can be known about God), and religious doubt.
Key Takeaway: The Inconsistent Triad shows the logical clash between God's power, God's love, and the reality of evil in the world.
---3. Religious Responses and Theodicies
What is a theodicy? A theodicy is an attempt to defend or justify the goodness and power of God in the face of evil and suffering.
A. The Augustinian Theodicy (St Augustine of Hippo)
St Augustine argued that God did not create a flawed world.
• Original Goodness: God created a perfect universe without any flaws (Genesis 1:31: "and it was very good").
• Privatio Boni (Evil as a Privation): Augustine argued that evil is not an actual substance or physical thing created by God. Instead, evil is a privation — an absence, lack, or twisting of good (just as blindness is the absence of sight, or darkness is the absence of light).
• The Fall and Free Will: Evil entered the world because humans and angels abused their God-given free will. The original disobedience of Adam and Eve (Original Sin / The Fall) shattered the harmony of creation.
• Suffering as Justice: Because humanity turned away from God, suffering and natural disharmony are just punishments and consequences inherited by humanity.
B. The Irenaean / "Soul-Making" Theodicy (St Irenaeus & John Hick)
St Irenaeus took a developmental approach, later popularized by modern philosopher John Hick.
• Two-Stage Creation: Humans were not created morally perfect from the start. We were created in the image of God (imago Dei) and are meant to grow into the likeness of God (similitudo Dei).
• Soul-Making Environment: The world was intentionally designed not as an effortless luxury resort or pleasure garden, but as a "school" or testing ground for our character. Overcoming hardships, natural hazards, and pain allows us to develop genuine virtues like courage, compassion, patience, and generosity.
• Epistemic Distance: God deliberately keeps a distance from humanity so we have genuine freedom to choose faith and goodness, rather than being forced to obey Him out of overwhelming fear.
Quick Memory Trick: Augustine vs Irenaeus
• Augustine looks BACKWARDS to the past: Perfection \(\rightarrow\) The Fall \(\rightarrow\) Privation of good.
• Irenaeus looks FORWARDS to the future: Imperfection \(\rightarrow\) Soul-making growth \(\rightarrow\) Likeness of God.
C. The Free Will Defence
• God gave humans genuine free will so that love and goodness would be meaningful (a robot forced to love cannot truly love).
• Having genuine free will means humans must also have the real freedom to choose selfishness, cruelty, and evil.
• Therefore, moral evil is the fault of human choices, not God.
D. Biblical and Experiential Responses
Christianity also offers answers rooted in scripture and personal faith:
• The Book of Job: When Job suffers terribly despite being a righteous man, God reminds him that the universe's design and God's wisdom far transcend human comprehension. Humans cannot see the full picture or demand an account from the Creator.
• Suffering as a Test: Hardship is sometimes viewed as a test of faith, trust, and loyalty to God (such as the testing of Abraham and Job).
• Redemptive Suffering and Jesus on the Cross: Christians believe God understands human suffering personally because God experienced agony through Jesus Christ on the cross. Suffering can have spiritual value, bringing believers closer to Christ and pointing toward eternal life in Heaven.
Key Takeaway: Theodicies explain evil using free will, soul-making growth, divine mystery, or the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus.
---4. Exam Practice and Top Tips for CCEA Success
Common Exam Mistakes to Avoid
• Conflating Thinkers: Do not mix up Augustine and Irenaeus! Augustine teaches The Fall and Privation; Irenaeus teaches Soul-Making and Growth.
• Misunderstanding Privatio Boni: Augustine never said pain is "imaginary" or not real. He meant evil has no independent physical substance made by God.
• One-Sided Arguments in AO2 Questions: For 10-mark evaluation questions, never argue that evil simply disproves God without examining theodicies. Always present a balanced argument with both sides before reaching your conclusion!
Quick Knowledge Check
1. What is the difference between moral evil and natural evil?
2. Which three statements make up the Inconsistent Triad?
3. What Latin phrase did Augustine use to describe evil as an "absence of good"?
4. According to Irenaeus, why can't the world be a painless paradise?
5. What does the Book of Job teach about human understanding of God's ways?