Bloomsbury Explaining Evil: Four Views

Christian theism maintains that an omnipotent, omniscient, and wholly good God is responsible for creating the world in which we live. Why, then, is there evil in this world? If evil is a result of our having libertarian free will, why would God bother creating humans with such a will in the first place? If all human actions are ultimately determined by God, then why would he refrain from determining all humans to do the good? If naturalism is true, then how does evil arise and why does it persist? Is one justified in saying that instances of pain and suffering are genuinely evil at all? In Explaining Evil four prominent philosophers, two theists and two non-theists, present their own account of why evil exists and respond to objections from fellow contributors. This dialogue format gives readers a unique overview of this important debate. Review This an outstanding book on the problem of evil. Instead of addressing the enduring debate over the value of evil as evidence against theism, the contributors to this book consider how evil fits into their theistic or atheistic perspectives. Anyone interested in the problem of evil-even those who feel that they have already read enough about the topic-should find the book intriguing and eye-opening. Yujin Nagasawa, Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the John Hick Centre for Philosophy of Religion, University of Birmingham, UK About the Author W. Paul Franks is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Department Chair at Tyndale University College, Canada. He has published in the Heythrop Journal, Philosophia Christi, Religious Studies and Sophia.