About the Book
This wide-ranging work provides an extensive exploration of the theology of theodicy, asking questions such as: should all instances of suffering necessarily be understood as evil? Why would an omnipotent and benevolent God allow or perpetrate evil? Is God unable or unwilling to reduce human and non-human suffering on Earth? Does humanity have the capacity to exercise a moral evaluation of God’s motives and intentions?
Conventional disciplinary boundaries have tended to separate theological approaches to these questions from philosophical ones. This volume aims to overcome these boundaries by including biblical (Part I), historical (Part II), doctrinal (Part III), philosophical (Part IV), and pastoral, interreligious perspectives and alternative intersections (Part V) on theodicy.
Authors include thinkers from analytic and continental traditions, multiple Christian denominations and other religions, and both established and younger scholars, providing a full variety of approaches. What unites the essays is an attempt to answer these questions from the perspective of biblical testimony, historical scholarship, modern theological and philosophical thinking about the concept of God, non-Christian religions, science and the arts. The result is a combination of in-depth analysis and breadth of scope, making this a benchmark work for further studies in the theology of suffering and evil.
Table of Contents:
Preface
List of Figures
Preface: Theology, Conversation, and Friendship
Abbreviations
1. Introduction: Suffering and the Problem of Evil, Johannes Grössl (University of Würzburg, Germany)
PART I: BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES
2. Moses: the Suffering Servant, Mark Scarlata (St. Mellitus College, UK)
3. Suffering and the Problem of Evil in the Prophets, John Barton (University of Oxford, UK)
4. The Book of Job, Katharine Dell (University of Cambridge, UK)
5. Suffering and the Quest for its Causes in the Psalms, Erhard S. Gerstenberger (University of Marburg, Germany)
6. Covenant Faith and Qohelet’s Question. John Goldingay (Fuller Theological Seminary, USA)
7. Wrath in the Bible, Peter J. Leithart (Theopolis Institute, UK)
8. "The Lord Is in Your Midst" (Zeph. 3:15) Righteous Suffering in the Synoptic Gospels, Pheme Perkins (Boston College, USA)
9. The Gospel of John, David Ford (University of Cambridge, UK)
10. Paul - Suffering as a Cosmic Problem, T.J. Lang (University of St. Andrews, UK)
11. The Epistle to the Hebrews, Bryan R. Dyer (Calvin University, USA)
12. The Book of Revelation, Joseph L. Mangina (University of Toronto, Canada)
PART II: HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY FIGURES
13. Irenaeus and Origen, Mark S. M. Scott (Stonehill College, USA)
14. Gregory of Nyssa, Alexander L. Abecina (University of Cambridge, UK)
15. Augustine, Lydia Schumacher (King’s College, UK)
16. Thomas Aquinas, Brian Davies (Fordham University, USA)
17. Dante, Rachel Teubner (Australian Catholic University, Australia)
18. Julian of Norwich, Rachel Muers (University of Edinburgh, UK)
19. Martin Luther, Simeon Zahl (University of Cambridge, UK)
20. John Calvin, James N. Anderson (Reformed Theological Seminary, USA)
21. Richard Hooker, Paul Dominiak (University of Cambridge, UK)
22. G.W.F. Leibniz, Alex Englander (University of Bonn, Germany)
23. Immanuel Kant, Alex Englander (University of Bonn, Germany)
24. Friedrich Schleiermacher, Shelli M. Poe (Iliff School of Theology, USA)
25. Søren Kierkegaard, Sean Turchin (Liberty University, USA)
26. Abraham Heschel, C.K. Martin Chung (Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong)
27. Simone Weil, Stephen J. Plant (University of Cambridge, UK)
28. Hannah Arendt, Philip Walsh (York University, Canada)
29. Karl Barth, Paul Dafydd Jones (University of Virginia, USA)
30. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Michael DeJonge (University of South Florida, USA)
31. Hans-Urs von Balthasar, Richard McLauchlan (Independent Scholar, UK)
32. Jürgen Moltmann, Matthias Reményi (University of Würzburg, Germany)
33. Johann Baptist Metz, Matthias Grebe (St. Mellitus College, UK)
34. Paul Ricœur, Christopher King (Toccoa Falls College, USA)
35. John Hick, Chad Meister (University of Notre Dame, USA)
36. Marilyn McCord-Adams, Shannon Craigo-Snell (Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, USA)
37. Eleonore Stump, Georg Gasser (University of Augsburg, Germany)
PART III: DOGMATIC THEMES
38. The Origin of Evil, Matthias Grebe (St Mellitus College, UK)
39. Creation, Nadine Hamilton (University of Erlangen, Germany)
40. The Suffering God, Paul Fiddes (University of Oxford, UK)
41. Trinity and Suffering, Matthew Levering (University of St. Mary of the Lake, USA)
42. Christology, Kenneth Surin (Duke University, USA)
43. Divine Suffering and the Communicatio Idiomatum, David R. Law (University of Manchester, UK)
44. Kenosis, Robert Stackpole (John Paul II Institute, USA)
45. Atonement, Suffering and Evil: The Problem of Meaninglessness, Adam Johnson (Biola University, USA)
46. The Cosmic Spirit's Creatorship and Redeemership in the Context of Natural Theodicy, Jongseock (James) Shin (Fuller Theological Seminary, USA)
47. Suffering, Evil, and Eschatology, Stephen J. Plant (University of Cambridge, UK)
48. Providence, Vernon White (King’s College, UK)
49. Ecclesiology, Jeremy Worthen (Church of England, UK)
50. Sacraments, David Grumett (University of Edinburgh, UK)
51. Prayer and Suffering, Jonathan D. Teubner (Harvard University, USA)
52. Personified Evil in the Judeo-Christian Tradition, Gregory Boyd (Woodland Hills Church, USA)
PART IV: PHILOSOPHICAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES
53. Neoplatonism, Adrian Mihai (University of Cambridge, UK)
54. Evil and Divine Excellence, David P. Hunt (Whittier College, USA)
55. Skeptical Theism, Daniel Speak (Loyola Marymount University, USA)
56. Anti-Theodicies, Stephen Torr (Church of England, UK)
57. Free Will Theodicies, Chad Meister (University of Notre Dame, USA)
58. Suffering and the Meaning of Life, Clifford Williams (Trinity College, USA)
59. Everlasting Creation and Essential Love, Thomas J. Oord (Northwind Theological Seminary, USA)
60. Science and Theodicy, Christopher Southgate (University of Exeter, UK)
61. Pain and the Mind-Body Problem, Joshua R. Farris (Missional University, USA) and Jonathan H. W. Chan (St Paul's Theological College, Malaysia, Hong Kong)
62. Evil and Moral Realism: A Problem of Evil for Atheism, James K. Dew Jr. (New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, USA)
63. Christian Ethics, Joshua Hordern (University of Oxford, UK)
64. Non-Human Suffering, Bethany N. Sollereder (University of Edinburgh, UK)
65. Bioethics and Suffering, Yechiel Michael Barilan (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
66. Disability and Suffering, Kevin Timpe (Calvin University, USA) and Hilary Yancey (Baylor University, USA)
PART V: INTERRELIGIOUS AND INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES
67. Suffering and the Problem of Evil in Judaism, Oliver Leaman (University of Kentucky, USA)
68. The Kabbalistic Concept of Tsimtsum (“contraction”), Simon D. Podmore (Liverpool Hope University, UK)
69. The Concept of duhkha in Hinduism, Ankur Barua (University of Cambridge, UK)
70. Suffering and Evil in Buddhism, Daniel Rumel (Archdiocese of Paderborn, Germany)
71. Zoroastrian Views on Suffering and Death, Almut Hintze (SOAS University of London, UK)
72. Problem of Evil and Human Suffering in Islamic Thought, Nasrin Rouzati (Manhattan College, USA)
73 Muslim Perspectives on Evil and Suffering, Mehrunisha Suleman (University of Oxford, UK)
74. The Holocaust, Sarah K. Pinnock (Trinity University, USA)
75. Psychology and Theodicy: The Meaning-Making Model and Growth, M. Elizabeth Lewis Hall (Biola University, USA)
76. Unmasking the Systemic Problem of Evil in Theology: A Feminist Critique, Esther McInthosh (York St. John University, UK)
77. Suffering and Problems of Evil in Black Theology: A Narrative Approach, Anthony G. Reddie (University of Oxford, UK)
78. Music, Sacred Sound, and Suffering, Jonathan Arnold (Diocese of Canterbury, UK)
79. Richard Wagner, Richard Bell (University of Nottingham, UK)
80. The Arts, Charles Taliaferro (St. Olaf College, USA) and Jil Evans (Independent Artist, UK)
Notes on Contributors
Subject Index
Scripture Index
About the Author :
Matthias Grebe is Lecturer in Theology and the Centre Lead at St Mellitus College in Chelmsford, UK.
Johannes Grössl is Assistant Professor of Fundamental Theology and Comparative Studies of Religion at the University of Würzburg, Germany.
Review :
This very substantial and thoughtful collection will be a valuable reference book for theological libraries.
Rarely, if ever, are the international, global theological academia as well as ministers and students blessed with such a splendid resource as the current one on any theological topic, let alone on the perennial problems of evil and suffering! Its scope and depth is breathtaking, including biblical, theological, interdisciplinary, and interreligious perspectives and its authorship a roster of leading established scholars as well as a number of emerging colleagues. No one writing or studying on this vital topic can afford to miss this milestone resource.
From the Bible to bioethics, from Christianity to Hinduism, from pastoral to theoretical, from philosophy to music, and from historical to contemporary debates, this handbook offers outstanding guidance for nearly every imaginable topic on suffering and evil. I learned much and highly recommend it.
Books on the "problem of evil" generally falter owing to narrowness of perspective. No such complaint can be made of this collection. With contributions addressing the question from every imaginable angle, this volume is a truly encyclopaedic treatment of the most challenging of theological topics.
In an encyclopaedic age of theology, where Handbooks, Compendiums, Companions and Dictionaries abound, here is an addition that will really make a difference. Grebe and Grössl are to be commended both on extraordinary and refreshing breadth of this volume, and on the quality of the contributors they have brought together.
An important addition … This new handbook exemplifies that all-important virtue – sometimes in short supply in the world of academic theology – of ‘lucid brevity’.
The T&T Clark Handbook of Suffering and the Problem of Evil is a monumental achievement. Indeed, spread across the range of its eighty chapters are contributions from some of the finest scholars currently working on the perennial topic of God and evil ... The work is a triumph, and Grebe and Grössl must be endlessly applauded for their contribution to scholarship.
