Pathways in Theodicy: An Introduction to the Problem of Evil - Softcover

Mark S. M. Scott

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1451464703 ISBN 13: 9781451464702

Publisher: Fortress Press, 2015

Synopsis

Why does God permit senseless suffering? If God is good and all-powerful, why does evil exist? The problem of evil perennially vexes theology, but many theologians have abandoned the project of theodicy, or the theological explanation of evil, as either fruitless or hopeless. Academic studies on theodicy, moreover, typically succumb to theological deficiency and abstraction, often devoid of any concrete connection to Christian life and practice. In Pathways in Theodicy, designed for students and scholars alike, Mark S. M. Scott reinvigorates stalled debates in philosophy and theology through a detailed reassessment of the problem of evil and the task of theodicy and through a careful analysis of the major models and motifs in theodicy.Scott explores the strengths and weaknesses of classic and contemporary perspectives on the problem of evil and invites readers to assess the cogency and relevance of each on their own. Rather than promoting a single perspective, Pathways in Theodicy explores the plurality of options available to treat the problem of evil and the provisional and tentative nature of theodicy, which searches not for final, definitive solutions but for viable ways to move the conversation forward.

About this title

About the Author

Mark S. M. Scott is assistant professor of religious studies at Thorneloe University in Sudbury, Ontario. He earned his PhD and AM from Harvard University and his MAR from Yale Divinity School. He is the author of Journey Back to God: Origen on the Problem of Evil (2012).

Edition details

• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1451464703
• ISBN 13: 9781451464702
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160