Tag Archives: evil

Universalism, Freedom, and the Problem of Evil

Posted on 4 May 2023 by Fr Aidan Kimel

by Eric Reitan, Ph.D. One recurring worry about universalism is that it would undermine the ability of theists to respond adequately to the problem of evil. The worry seems to be rooted in the idea that the best theistic response … Continue reading →

Posted in Eric Reitan, Universalism and Eschatology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 58 Comments

The Absurdity of Moral Evil: A Philosophical Proof for Universalism

Posted on 2 May 2023 by Fr Aidan Kimel

by Thomas M. Cothran We think of universalism as a theological matter. Theology, however, can rarely resolve its disputes. Certainly there are the core issues summarized in the Creed and the resolutions of the early councils. But settled dogma forms … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophical Theology, Universalism and Eschatology | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Ainulindalë: The Great Music and the Cacophony of Melkor

Posted on 12 February 2023 by Fr Aidan Kimel

Eru summons the Ainur and declares to them “a mighty theme, unfolding to them things greater and more wonderful than he had yet revealed; and the glory of its beginning and the splendour of its end amazed the Ainur, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Ainulindale, Inklings & Company, Mythopoeia | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Parable of the Tares: Agricultural Malpractice?

Posted on 16 January 2022 by Fr Aidan Kimel

Immediately following the Parable of the Sower, Jesus tells another tale involving the sowing of seeds. But whereas the Sower speaks of the proper soil conditions for the grow­ing of plants, the Parable of the Tares revolves around two kinds … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Robert Farrar Capon | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Is God the Author of Sin?

Posted on 13 November 2021 by Fr Aidan Kimel

Is God the author of sin? The question assumes paramount importance when evaluating the construal of divine and human agency advanced by Hugh J. McCann. Popular theodi­cies seek to protect God from responsibility for human evil. That’s the upshot of … Continue reading →

Posted in Hugh McCann, Philosophical Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

The Free-Will Defense and the Impossible Worlds of Molinism

Posted on 10 October 2021 by Fr Aidan Kimel

The free-will defense of evil and suffering is a failure—so Hugh McCann con­tends. This verdict sur­prises, given the opinion of so many phi­losophers that Alvin Plan­tin­ga’s argument succeeds resoundingly. But it succeeds, maintains McCann, only be­cause it aban­dons God’s provi­dential … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbert McCabe & Friends, Hugh McCann, Philosophical Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

C. S. Lewis, Alvin Plantinga, and the Free-Will Defense

Posted on 5 October 2021 by Fr Aidan Kimel

Why did God create a world filled with evil and horrific violence? In the midst of World War II, C. S. Lewis offered what has become a classic Christian response: God created things which had free will. That means creatures which … Continue reading →

Posted in Hugh McCann, Philosophical Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 43 Comments

Creation, Theodicy, and the Problem of Evil

Posted on 12 April 2021 by Fr Aidan Kimel

by Robert F. Fortuin This essay sets forth the claim that the absolute freedom of God’s act of creation informs the nature and meaning of evil. Because God created the universe without prior constraint or necessity, His moral nature and … Continue reading →

Posted in Gregory of Nyssa, Robert Fortuin | Tagged , , , , | 34 Comments