{"id":34,"date":"2006-10-05T15:23:55","date_gmt":"2006-10-05T15:23:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/"},"modified":"2018-04-23T16:20:42","modified_gmt":"2018-04-23T16:20:42","slug":"4002-irenaean-theodicy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/","title":{"rendered":"40.02 Irenaean Theodicy (pps.33-36)"},"content":{"rendered":"

hard cover page 33<\/p>\n

Alongside the mainstream of Augustinian theodicy is the ‘minority report” of the Irenaean tradition. It dates to Irenaeus<\/p>\n

~continued~
\n<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
CONVERSION TABLE for this multi-page unit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
you are currently on hard cover p. 33<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
< BACK<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\nNEXT PAGE><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\t\t\t\tPages pointer<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\nhard cover page<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1
\n2
\n3
\n4<\/td>\n		>
\n>
\n>
\n><\/td>\n		33
\n34
\n35
\n36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

hard cover page 34<\/p>\n

and others of the early Hellenistic fathers of the church in the second and third centuries\u00e2\u20ac\u201dprior to Augustine-and it has flourished again in more complex forms during the last hundred years.<\/p>\n

In contrast to Augustine, who regarded man as having been created by God in a finished state, and as then falling disastrously away from this, Irenaeus saw man as still in process of creation.136 <\/sup>The “minority report” “sees moral evil as an inevitable result of God’s creation of man as an incomplete creature, at the beginning of a long process of moral and spiritual development.”137<\/sup> Labeled the “soul-making” theodicy, it is based on the assumption that there are certain very valuable human qualities which could not be fully developed without subjecting man to suffering and cha1lenge.138<\/sup><\/p>\n

The Irenaean theodicy is paralleled by a rabbinic interpretation\/insight on Genesis 2:3: me-kol melachto asher bara Elokim laasot<\/em> (“from all His work, which God created to make”). What is the meaning of the words “to make”? It is man who completes unfinished creation and achieves a closer state of perfection. Man, as a partner with the Divine, helps complete creation.139<\/sup> (See also below in section 100.)<\/p>\n

The kabbalists developed this general concept in their formulation of the nuhama di-kissufa<\/em> (“bread of shame”) theodicy: If the good bestowed by God is not deserved (as in a world with no challenge), the recipient’s pleasure will be lessened, or even negated, by the feelings of shame which always accompany undeserved favors.<\/p>\n

Hick encapsulates the Irenaean position:<\/p>\n

The main features of the Irenaean theodicy stress the creation of man, through the processes of natural evolution, at an epistemic distance from God, giving him a basic freedom in relation to his Creator; and man’s consequent self-centredness as an animal organism seeking survival within a harsh and challenging world which is however an environment in which he can develop, as a morally and spiritually immature creature, towards his ultimate perfection; this development beginning in the present life and continuing far beyond it. Such a theodicy sees moral<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

===================================
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d- NOTES \u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d-<\/p>\n

136 <\/sup>Hick, “Faith and Knowledge,” in ibid., p. 515.<\/p>\n

137 <\/sup>Hick, Evil and the God of Love<\/em>,<\/em> p. 369.<\/p>\n

138 <\/sup>See Aquinas, Summa Theologiae<\/em><\/em> I q. 22, art. 2. “. . . there would be no patience of martyrs if there were no tyrannical persecution.”<\/p>\n

139 <\/sup>Cited by Hertz, Pentateuch and Haftorah<\/em> (also cited by Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation,<\/em> citing Hertz.)<\/p>\n

~continued~
\n<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
CONVERSION TABLE for this multi-page unit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
you are currently on hard cover p. 34<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
< BACK<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\nNEXT PAGE><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\t\t\t\tPages pointer<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\nhard cover page<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1
\n2
\n3
\n4<\/td>\n		>
\n>
\n>
\n><\/td>\n		33
\n34
\n35
\n36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

hard cover page 35<\/p>\n

and natural evil as necessary features of the present stage of God’s creating of perfected finite persons, although the precise forms which they have taken are of course contingent. Thus the ultimate responsibility for the existence of evil belongs to the Creator; and Christianity also believes that, in His total awareness of the history of His creation, God bears with us the pains of the creative process.140<\/sup><\/p>\n

A tangential attack would apply the Schlesinger line.<\/p>\n

If it is claimed that God has greatly improved the world by providing opportunities for virtuous responses to suffering to exist, then it would also have to be admitted that he has impaired the world to no less degree by also providing opportunities for vicious responses. Surely the world could have been no worse off by having opportunities for neither.141<\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The central problem, acknowledged by Hick, is whether “the end justifies the means,” whether all the “growth” in the world can justify the suffering of one child. Moreover, if Irenaeus is correct, pain and suffering should be distributed in more equal measure, to allow for equal personal growth potential, and not overly victimize some. Again, if the end purpose is “growth through challenge,” an omnipotent Deity should a priori have created man with the desired characteristic.142<\/sup> Finally, does not the idea that God placed obstacles before man contradict our conception of God?143<\/sup> Does it not position God as the primary source of the problem?<\/p>\n

In the words of its chief contemporary elucidator, Hick, the ultimate question regarding the Irenaean theodicy remains: “Can there be a future so good, so great as to render acceptable, in retrospect, the whole human experience, with all its wickedness and suffering as well as all its sanctity and happiness?”144<\/sup><\/p>\n

Our survey may lead the reader to ask the following questions:<\/p>\n

===================================
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d- NOTES \u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d-<\/p>\n

140 <\/sup>Hick, Evil and the God of Love<\/em>, <\/em>p. 385.
\nCf. Hick, “Faith and Knowledge,” pp. 517-5 18. “Antitheistic writers almost invariably assume a conception of the divine purpose which is contrary to the Christian conception. They assume that the purpose of a loving God must be to create a hedonistic paradise; and therefore to the extent that the world is other than this, it proves to them that God is either not loving enough or not powerful enough to create such a world. . . . Such critics as Hume are confusing what heaven ought to be . ..with what this world ought to be.”<\/p>\n

141 <\/sup>Schlesinger, Religion and Scientific Method,<\/em> p. 47.<\/p>\n

142 <\/sup>In countering another theodicy, Schlesinger writes in his article “Logical Analysis,” “The laws of psychology could have been altered by the Almighty.”<\/p>\n

143 <\/sup>Aside from contravening the dictum God has laid down for man, lifnei iver lo sitane michshol<\/em> (“before a blind man. place not an obstacle”).<\/p>\n

144 <\/sup>Hick, Evil and the God of Love<\/em>, p. 386. Cf. ibid., pp. 385-386.
\n“What is the greatest difficulty in the way of such a theodicy? It is. I think, the stark question whether we can believe that the postulated end can justify the known means: whether all the pain and suffering, cruelty and wickedness of human life can be rendered acceptable by an end-state, however good? Madden and Hare put the straight negative: ‘The price that is paid for spiritual growth . . . is often too high to be justly exacted.’ ” (See balance of paragraph, as well.)
\nCf. ibid., p. 386.<\/p>\n

~continued~
\n<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
CONVERSION TABLE for this multi-page unit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
you are currently on hard cover p. 35<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
< BACK<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\nNEXT PAGE><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\t\t\t\tPages pointer<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\nhard cover page<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1
\n2
\n3
\n4<\/td>\n		>
\n>
\n>
\n><\/td>\n		33
\n34
\n35
\n36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

hard cover page 36<\/p>\n

Are we making too much of the theodicy dilemma? Perhaps religious thought is not necessarily so intellectually rigorous? Perhaps we must simply take a “leap of faith” that all is ultimately for the best? Perhaps God’s concept of morality is different from ours?<\/p>\n

The next three sections (50.00, 60.00, and 70.00), which conclude Part I of this book, directly address these questions.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
CONVERSION TABLE for this multi-page unit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
you are currently on hard cover p. 36<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
< BACK<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\nNEXT PAGE><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\t\t\t\tPages pointer<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\nhard cover page<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1
\n2
\n3
\n4<\/td>\n		>
\n>
\n>
\n><\/td>\n		33
\n34
\n35
\n36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

hard cover page 33 Alongside the mainstream of Augustinian theodicy is the ‘minority report” of the Irenaean tradition. It dates to Irenaeus ~continued~ CONVERSION TABLE for this multi-page unit you are currently on hard cover p. 33 < BACK NEXT PAGE> Pages pointer hard cover page 1 2 3 4 > > > > 33 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":32,"menu_order":135,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"yoast_head":"\n40.02 Irenaean Theodicy (pps.33-36) - David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/\" \/>\n<link rel=\"next\" href=\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"40.02 Irenaean Theodicy (pps.33-36) - David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"hard cover page 33 Alongside the mainstream of Augustinian theodicy is the ‘minority report” of the Irenaean tradition. It dates to Irenaeus ~continued~ CONVERSION TABLE for this multi-page unit you are currently on hard cover p. 33 < BACK NEXT PAGE> Pages pointer hard cover page 1 2 3 4 > > > > 33 […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-04-23T16:20:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/\",\"name\":\"David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/\",\"name\":\"40.02 Irenaean Theodicy (pps.33-36) - David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2006-10-05T15:23:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-04-23T16:20:42+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"40.00 OTHER THEODICIES (p.31)\"}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"40.02 Irenaean Theodicy (pps.33-36) - David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/","next":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"40.02 Irenaean Theodicy (pps.33-36) - David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I","og_description":"hard cover page 33 Alongside the mainstream of Augustinian theodicy is the ‘minority report” of the Irenaean tradition. It dates to Irenaeus ~continued~ CONVERSION TABLE for this multi-page unit you are currently on hard cover p. 33 < BACK NEXT PAGE> Pages pointer hard cover page 1 2 3 4 > > > > 33 […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/","og_site_name":"David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I","article_modified_time":"2018-04-23T16:20:42+00:00","twitter_card":"summary","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/","name":"David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/","name":"40.02 Irenaean Theodicy (pps.33-36) - David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/#website"},"datePublished":"2006-10-05T15:23:55+00:00","dateModified":"2018-04-23T16:20:42+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/4000-other-theodicies\/4002-irenaean-theodicy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"40.00 OTHER THEODICIES (p.31)"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":207,"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34\/revisions\/207"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}