Augustine of Hippo (354-

430 AD)

Catholic priestWe know a great deal about his life from his

Confessions and Revisions; from a

recent biography and from his many letters

Augustine’s Augustine’s TheodicyTheodicy

St. Augustine 354 – 430 ADSt. Augustine 354 – 430 AD

A Christian response to the Problem of Evil and

connections with Free WillMain points:

Privation / The Fall / Free Will

Two approaches………………..

Philosophical & BiblicalPhilosophical & Biblical• God is the creator of all

things / substances• Creation is good• So, evil cannot be a

substance • Therefore, evil is the

‘privation’ (lack, absence) of good

• Evil enters when some part of creation renounces its proper role and ceases to be what it is meant to be.

THE FALL:THE FALL:• Augustine argues for a

belief in the ‘fall’ of angels and mankind.

• God (in his Omniscience) foresaw the fall and planned for a redemption through Christ, so retaining God’s goodness.

How do things become deprived of good How do things become deprived of good or ‘fall’?or ‘fall’?

• God cannot be less than perfect, but his creations can.• God cannot bring about this corruption, instead it

occurs through a misuse of Free Will.• Free Will gives us the ability to actualise evil. The following puts the blame for evil on humans

rather than God;• ‘Original Sin’ relates to the fall of Adam and Eve in

the Garden of Eden, all of humanity is descended from them and therefore shares in their sin – moral evils.

• The fall of angels led to natural suffering, this is retained in the world as a punishment for sin.

Criticisms of the theodicyCriticisms of the theodicy• It seems insubstantial to say something as ‘potent’ as

evil is simply the lack of something.• Modern science contradicts a literal interpretation of

‘The Fall’ in preference of Evolutionary theory. This has lead to a symbolic interpretation of the story.

• The explanation of natural evil as a punishment seems incompatible with a loving God.

God must bear some responsibility (logical criticisms);• It could be argued that perfect things should not fall,

therefore humans and angels could never have been perfect in the first place.

• A genuinely perfect world would not allow for evil.• God chose to create creatures he foresaw would do evil.

SummarySummary• Evil did not come from God, whose creation is

perfect• Evil came from elsewhere (humans & angels

via free will and turning away from God)• Everyone is ‘of sin’ because of the actions of

Adam and Eve• God is justified in allowing it to stay (I.e,

natural evil as a punishment)• However God does show love in his offer of

salvation through Christ.