The Problem of Evil

For Christians, the problem of evil (or theodicy, as it is often referred to), has often been an apologetic nightmare in debates with unbelievers and something that has plagued the soul of many a believer when experiencing life's worst tragedies. Questions like, did God cause this evil or why would God allow such suffering in the world? I struggled with these same questions and researched the topic for some time. I was even privileged to take a course on the problem of evil at SEBTS. That course was taught by Dr. Bruce Little and had a profound influence on the way I approach ministry. His work, A Creation-Order Theodicy: God and Gratuitous Evil, challenged me in respect to my understanding of what evil was, God's role and desires regarding evil, and the philosophical problems of the "Greater Good" argument.

Dr. Little recently wrote a new book and along with it has answered a few questions on the topic of theodicy in a two part series. Part 1 deals with why the "greater good" theodicy continues to fail and part 2 gives an overview of the alternative view, creation-order theodicy. Take a moment, read it, and see how helpful this will be for understanding your own Christian walk, ministering to others, and defending your faith.