Providence and Evil

1
Providence and Evil

• Two issues
• What is providence?
• How do we come to terms with evil?

2
Different aspects of Providence

• Individual
• God draws us to fulfillment through the events of
  our personal lives
• Historical
• God is able to realize a purpose in the larger
  sweep of history
• General
• God cares for nature, gives direction to the
  universe

3
Implicit conviction

• God has an overall purpose for human life and the
  universe
• The reign of God
• A situation where humans are in perfect harmony
  with God, each other, and all creatures
• Becoming like Jesus
• Galatians 219-20 I have been crucified with
  Christ and it is no longer I who live, but it is
  Christ who lives in me.

4
Providence and Science

• John Polkinghornes insights
• Mechanistic view of universe seemed to rule out
  providence
• But recent physics sees a universe with both
  order and flexibility
• God may seek to realize his goals in and through
  the reliability and flexibility of the cosmos.
  (p. 94)

5
Miracles (not the one on Route 9)

• An interference with nature by supernatural
  power?
• An event with special religious meaning?
• An extraordinary event that is not contrary to
  nature, but to what we know as nature?
• Polkinghorne God makes use of physical regimes
  unknown to us

6
The Problem of Evil

• Two kinds of evil
• Moral
• Natural
• Theoretical approaches
• Satan
• Process theodicy persuasion
• Augustinian theodicy free will
• Irenaean theodicy trials towards maturity

7
Evil as practical challenge

• God shares human suffering
• God opposes evil, but can bring good out of it
• God will ultimately triumph over evil

8
Sin

• Four aspects
• Fundamental aspect Unbelief and idolatry
• Pride and passivity (will)
• Concupiscence (desires) and blindness
  (understanding)
• Sin as a condition that exists prior to sinful
  acts (original sin)
• relation between individual and social sin