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There are lots of different ways in which suffering might provoke difficult questions for people who believe in God. Some philosophers have argued that the worst suffering simply makes belief in God incoherent, or implausible; others have suggested that in the light of such suffering we may need to revise our understanding of God. Some Christian thinkers have defended some kind of ‘theodicy’ – an account of why it is that a good God could permit creatures to suffer in the ways they do. But these views have often provoked very strong reactions, as people find the very idea that the worst suffering could be part of some kind of divine plan to be intolerable. Most people have, at one time or another, been struck by these kinds of questions.
This course examines a few central moments in these discussions, not so as to put forward final answers, but so as to some resources to think carefully about the questions. We will address a range of issues, from the arguments that claim that the worst suffering undermines belief in God altogether, through the way that suffering is dealt with in the Bible, to recent debates in theology about the nature of God and the meaning of the cross. The course does not aim to resolve all the questions that suffering raises for people of faith; it does aim to help us to think more deeply, honestly and clearly about them.
Alongside texts by philosophers and theologians, we will also make use of literature, film and music that has explored these issues.
There are different kinds of suffering, and different ways in which such suffering might cause problems for people who believe in God. In this session we try to think as carefully as we can about these, so as to be clear about what questions we need to ask.
Questions for reflection:
The Book of Job is famous for the way in which Job questions the justice of God in the face of his suffering, but it is less clear what kind of answer the book presents. This session also examines a few different approaches to this fascinating book, and asks how Job's questions connect to our own.
Reading: The Book of Job - as much as you can manage! (If you don’t have time to read the whole book, then try chs 1-7; 19; 22-24; 38-end.)
Additional reading: Walter Bruggeman, Theology of the Old Testament (extract)
Questions for reflection:
Many serious thinkers have found that the existence of God seems incompatible with the worst suffering, and "the problem of evil" is perhaps the most serious objection to belief in God. We examine a number of thinkers who have articulated thoughts along these lines, and ask what kind of challenge they present for thinking Christians. Does "the problem of evil" undermine belief in God? Or might it be that this problem is somehow essential to belief in God? Does the idea that God created humans with free will shed any light on these issues – and if so, how?
Reading: Richard Swinburne, Is There a God? (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1996), 95–113.
Additional reading:
Questions for reflection:
Additional resources:
The videos below might help you to understand the basic shape of ‘the argument from evil’ (especially if the chapter itself feels like a struggle): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4z9Y2u30Qs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L67dlpMgDa4
There is an accessible introduction to free will defences in general in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0tLRO8_qRI
A well-known critique of John Hick’s ‘soul-making theodicy’ (similar, in many respects, to Swinburne’s) by Stanley Kane can be found here: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/40021034.pdf
A summary of the influential work of Marilyn McCord Adams can be found here (see pp. 343-346). Adams puts forward an influential analogy to show the problem with free will defences; the ‘stove top analogy’ (see p. 345).
It is sometimes claimed that God makes use of suffering, and that thishelps us to understand its place within the universe. We look at a few examplesof thinkers—from both within and without the Christian faith—who have exploredthis thought, as well as those who have objected most violently to it. Is theresomething morally objectionable about saying that suffering might bespiritually "useful"; or is this position inevitable for anyonewho believes in a God who "works all things together for the good of thosewho love him?"
Reading: Eleonore Stump, Wandering in Darkness(Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2010), pp. 386-388; 390-402.
Stump explains some of her ideas in the interview here: https://www.publicchristianity.org/the-problem-of-suffering/
At the centre of Christianity is the image of the cross, and the thought that God is in Christ, who dies. For many 20th and 21st century theologians, the idea that God suffers alongside humans is an important theological response to the worst suffering in the world: perhaps, as Bonhoeffer said, "only a suffering God can help". We examine some famous examples of this theological trend, and ask how we can make sense of the idea. What would it mean to say that God suffers with human beings? Or even, that God suffers in Godself? Would this be a comfort or consolation to someone in their own suffering – if so, why?
We will also explore the work of Marilyn McCord Adams, whose discussion of ‘Horrendous Evils’ has proved provocative and influential in philosophy of religion. Adams suggests that most attempts to ‘defend’ God against the argument from evil fail to recognise the ‘size gap’ between God and humans. But she also suggests that the goodness of intimacy with God is so great that we may be able to hope that horrors can be overwhelmed, even if we cannot see why they would permitted.
Note: if you wish to skip the section on Moltmann, then you could begin the audio at 23mins in.
Seminar reading:
Additional reading:
Questions for reflection:
1. What do you make of Adams’ claim that because of the metaphysical ‘size-gap’, emphasising human free will will not reduce divine responsibility for creation.
2. Do you think that it makes sense to say that we could have hope for the ‘how’ of God’s overcoming of horrendous suffering, without understanding the ‘why’ of God’s permission of such suffering?
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Stuart is the Theology Lead at LJC. He graduated with a degree in Literature and Theology from the University of Hull in 2000. From 2003-9 he studied Philosophical Theology part-time at the University of Nottingham, whilst continuing to work in the third sector with vulnerably-housed or homeless people, and young asylum seekers (as well as pulling pints in a pub). He was Lecturer at York St John University for almost a decade, before moving to London Jesuit Centre in 2021. He now lives in South East London, and spends as much time as he can in the woods.
