The Problem of Evil: New Philosophical Directions

by Benjamin W. McCraw (Editor), Robert Arp (Editor), Hugo Strandberg (Contribution by), Gregory S. Moss (Contribution by), Jennifer Mei Sze Ang (Contribution by)

Overview

This book engages the problem of evil from a variety of philosophical viewpoints, traditions, methodologies, and interests. For millennia, philosophers, theologians, and people outside of the academy have thought about evil and its relation to religious belief. The Problem of Evil: New Philosophical Directions aims to take this history of thought into evil while also extending the discourse in other directions; providing a multi-faceted collection of papers that take heed of the various ways one can think about evil and what role in may play in philosophical considerations of religion. From the nature of evil to the well-known problem of evil to the discussion of the problem in philosophical discourse, the collection provides a wide range of philosophical approaches to evil. Anyone interested in evil—its nature, relation to religious belief, its use in philosophical discussion, and so on—will find the papers in this book of interest.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498512084
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	12/24/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	218
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Robert Arp is a research analyst for the US Army.

Benjamin W. McCraw teaches philosophy at University of South Carolina Upstate.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Robert Arp and Benjamin W. McCraw
Part I: The Nature of Evil

1Is Pure Evil Possible?
Hugo Strandberg
2The Problem of Evil in the Speculative Mysticism of Meister Eckhart
Gregory S. Moss
3Evil by Nobodies
Jennifer Mei Sze Ang

Part II: The Problem of Evil

4Pursuing Pankalia: The Aesthetic Theodicy of St. Augustine
A. G. Holdier
5On the Impossibility of Omnimalevolence: Plantinga on Tooley's New Evidential Argument from Evil
Edward N. Martin
6Epistemic Evil, Divine Hiddenness, and Soul Making
Benjamin W. McCraw
7What the Hell is God Up To? God’s Evils and the Theodicies Holding God Responsible
John Shook

Part III: Beyond the Problem of Evil

8Mystic Terror and Metaphysical Rebels: Active Evil and Active Love in Schelling and Dostoevsky
James M. McLachlan
9Redemptive Suffering
Neal Judisch
10Predatory Goodness in the Discourse on Evil among Anglo-American Philosophers of Religion
Nathan Loewen

Editorial Reviews

Despite a long history of attempts to address it, the problem of evil remains a problem. Diverse,
rigorous, and original, this volume is an important contribution to the contemporary debates due to its remarkable existential awareness. Bringing together atheists and theists, analytic and continental philosophers, and emerging and established scholars, this volume is a significant step forward for the philosophy of religion.

J. Aaron Simmons

The sheer variety of essays in this volume demonstrates the plethora of entry points into approaching the problem of evil in contemporary philosophy of religion and philosophical theology, resulting in an increase in specialized studies on particular theoretical and historical aspects of the problem of evil…. This book’s eclectic collection of essays reflects this reality…. Without a doubt the best part of this volume is the Introduction by editors Robert Arp and Benjamin W. McGraw. Together they ably survey ‘the landscape of philosophical (or religious, theological, etc.) thought about evil’ (17). In particular, Arp and McGraw detail ‘The Nature of Evil’ (1-6), ‘The Problem of Evil’ (6-10), ‘Responses to the Problem of Evil’ (10-15), and ‘The Meta-Problem of Evil’ (15-18). These pages cover the main theoretical issues concisely and would serve well as an introduction to the problem of evil in philosophy courses. Overall, The Problem of Evil will appeal to specialists on the problem of evil and theodicy, and especially to philosophers.

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