Matthew Matheny: "The Necessary Evils of Theodicy"

            Why do bad things happen to good people?  This essential question has vexed theologians throughout history.  Theodicies are attempts to answer this question.  Theodicies can be categorized based on which of three faith statements they redefine: that God is all-good, that God is all-powerful, and that evil exists.  Some have a less than omnipotent God.  Some redefine the goodness of God.  Since there are many theodicies, some process should be used to find one which seems to answer the essential question the best.  In this paper, a framework of analysis is established using the criteria that Dr. David Blumenthal has used in some of his work.  These criteria are: empowerment within an intellectual-moral system, preservation of a sense of reality, and intellectual coherence.  Two theodicies will be highlighted and analyzed using this framework.  One theodicy, by John Hick, redefines the role of evil and humanity.  The other, by Phillip Roth, redefines the goodness of God as a reaction to the reality of the Holocaust.  Each theodicy is introduced and then analyzed using Blumenthal’s criteria.  After analysis, the one which seemed to fit the criteria the best is presented.  The one which takes the least away from believers is considered the best.  The paper ends with a discussion about the utility of the study of theodicies.