John Hick's Theodicy

• John Hick's theodicy, known as the "soul-making" theodicy, addresses the problem of evil, arguing God allows evil to exist for human spiritual and moral development.
• It draws heavily on the ideas of Irenaeus.
• Hick rejects Augustine's theodicy, which attributes evil to the fall of humanity.
• A world designed for maximal pleasure and minimal pain would not foster genuine moral and spiritual growth, according to Hick.

Key Concepts

• Eschatological Verification: The truth of religious claims, including God's existence and the purpose of suffering, will be verified at the end of time or in an afterlife.
• Image and Likeness of God: Humans are created in God's "image" (possessing rationality and freedom) but must develop into God's "likeness" (achieving moral and spiritual perfection).
• Soul-Making: Individuals develop from God's image to God's likeness through facing challenges and making moral choices in a world containing both good and evil.
• Epistemic Distance: God maintains a certain distance from humanity to allow for genuine freedom and choice; God's existence is not overwhelmingly obvious, allowing people to come to faith freely.

Core Arguments

• Rejection of Augustinian Theodicy: Hick rejects the idea that evil is a consequence of the fall of humanity because it relies on a literal interpretation of Genesis that is no longer tenable.
• Purpose of Suffering: Suffering is instrumental in developing compassion, empathy, courage, and other virtues and is not meaningless.
• Counterfactual Argument: A world without pain and suffering would not be conducive to moral and spiritual development.
• Universal Salvation: Hick's theodicy is often linked to the belief in universal salvation, the idea that ultimately all people will be saved.

Strengths

• Addresses the Problem of Gratuitous Evil: Hick attempts to address the problem of gratuitous evil by suggesting that even seemingly pointless suffering can contribute to soul-making, which poses a significant challenge to many other theodicies.
• Emphasis on Human Freedom: Hick's theodicy respects human freedom and autonomy, arguing that God does not coerce belief or moral behavior.
• Alignment with Evolutionary Theory: Hick's theodicy aligns with evolutionary theory, positing that humans are still developing and evolving toward their full potential.
• Offers Hope: It provides a hopeful perspective on suffering, suggesting that it has a purpose and that all people will eventually be saved.

Weaknesses

• The Problem of Scale: The amount of suffering in the world seems disproportionate to any conceivable soul-making purpose.
• Moral Objections: It is morally wrong for God to use suffering as a means to an end, even if that end is the moral and spiritual development of humanity.
• Lack of Empirical Evidence: Eschatological verification is difficult to prove or disprove empirically, making it a matter of faith rather than reason.
• Unfairness: The theodicy may seem unfair, as some individuals experience far more suffering than others, potentially hindering their soul-making process rather than advancing it.
• Justifying God's Inaction: The theodicy may be interpreted as justifying God's inaction in the face of extreme suffering, raising questions about divine compassion and justice.

John Hick's theodicy, or soul-making theodicy, explains that God allows evil for human development. Hick rejects the Augustinian theodicy. Hick suggests religious claims will be verified in the afterlife.