Calvinism and the Problem of EvilDavid E. Alexander, Daniel M. Johnson Contrary to what many philosophers believe, Calvinism neither makes the problem of evil worse nor is it obviously refuted by the presence of evil and suffering in our world. Or so most of the authors in this book claim. While Calvinism has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years amongst theologians and laypersons, many philosophers have yet to follow suit. The reason seems fairly clear: Calvinism, many think, cannot handle the problem of evil with the same kind of plausibility as other more popular views of the nature of God and the nature of God's relationship with His creation. This book seeks to challenge that untested assumption. With clarity and rigor, this collection of essays seeks to fill a significant hole in the literature on the problem of evil. The collection includes twelve original essays by David E. Alexander, James N. Anderson, James E. Bruce, Anthony Bryson, Christopher Green, Matthew J. Hart, Paul Helm, Daniel M. Johnson, Hugh J. McCann, Alexander R. Pruss, Greg Welty, and Heath White. |
Contents
| 19 | |
God and the Authorship of Sin | 56 |
Theological Determinism and the Authoring Sin Objection | 78 |
A Question of Providence | 96 |
Orthodoxy Theological Determinism and the Problem of Evil | 123 |
Aspects of Gods Causal Activity | 145 |
On Grace and Free Will | 168 |
A Dilemma for Christian Determinists | 187 |
Calvinism and the First Sin | 200 |
A Compatibicalvinist DemonstrativeGoods Defense | 233 |
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actually Adam agent allowing evil argue argument from evil arminian Augustine belief Bible bullet bill bullet bill gun Calvinism Calvinist canon causal determinism character choice choose Christian circumstances claim committed compatibilism compatibilist contingent create creation creatures culpable decision decree deterministic distinction divine causation divine determinism doctrine elect epistemic eternal event evidence evidential evil actions existence fact free will defense God’s grace happen hell human actions Ibid intends internalist Jonathan Edwards justified kind laws of nature least libertarian free libertarian freedom McCann metaphysical middle knowledge molinism Molinist moore switch moral responsibility non-Calvinist objection omnibenevolence one’s Open Theist ordinary gun particular philosophical Plantinga plausible possible premise problem of evil providence question reason reformed reply reprobation salvation Scripture self-attestation sense Simple Foreknowledge simply sinful skeptical sort suppose Theist theodicy theological theorists things tion true truth Turretin ultimate