God and evil: An introduction to the issues

Abstract

This concise, well-structured introductory survey examines the problem of evil in the context of the philosophy of religion. One of the core topics in the philosophy of religion, the problem of evil is an ever-present dilemma that Western philosophers have pondered for almost two thousand years. The main problem of evil consists in reconciling belief in one’s theistic deity while believing in the existence of evil at the same time. Michael Peterson presents this issue through a series of questions & cites theodicy as an appropriate response to the various arguments of evil. Peterson concludes with a discussion of how the problem of evil has evolved, where it stands today, & in what direction it is headed.