A MONERGISTIC THEOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF MORAL EVIL by C. Elmer Chen A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of PROVIDENCE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS 2008 Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-37195-4 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-37195-4 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. 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Canada Copyright © 2008 by Chu-en Elmer Chen All rights reserved ABSTRACT The problem of evil is not only a hotly debated question among philosophers but also one that intrigues and perplexes many Christians. The undeniable reality of evil in our world presents a challenge to the Christian belief in the Creator God who is all- powerful and perfectly good. This thesis addresses the problem of evil from a monergistic theological perspective. As a context for treating the problem, it begins by defining and defending a specific sovereignty view of providence. A critical examination of the biblical material and the relevant logical arguments leads to the monergistic conclusion that God is absolutely sovereign over the specific events that occur in the world. This is followed by an exploration of the doctrine of the goodness of God and its implications for divine moral obligation and divine freedom. A survey and analysis of major existing proposals yields valuable insights for the task of theodicy. Having defined a theological framework and a strategy for addressing the problem of evil, the thesis proceeds to offer a proposal for a monergistic account of evil. The proposal is composed of three basic theses, each of which is grounded in the available scriptural data. The first is that God intentionally permits moral evil for purposes that will one day be universally acknowledged as wise. The second is that in spite of the presence of evil in the world, God is morally blameless in all his works. The third is that it is possible for evil to originate apart from divine causation within a world that, as originally created, contained neither evil nor the seed of evil. Within the framework of theological monergism and a non-consequentialist account of ethics, this thesis presents a justification of God without minimizing evil. It also presents reason for confidence and hope in a God who is fully sovereign and perfectly good while holding to a realistic account of evil. CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION Statement of Purpose and Importance Statement of the Problem Definition of Terms Statement of Delimitations List of Assumptions State of the Question Outline of the Following Chapters 2. PROVIDENCE 10 Theological Options A Case for Specific Sovereignty The Nature of Human Freedom Divine Temporality and Foreknowledge Conclusion 3. THE GOODNESS AND FREEDOM OF GOD 72 Theological Distinctions Scriptural Affirmations of God's Goodness The Freedom of God Conclusion 4. ANALYSIS OF SOME MAJOR APPROACHES 93 Best Possible World Theodicy - G. W. Leibniz Free Will Defence - St. Augustine, Alvin Plantinga Open Theist Defences Soul-Making Theodicy - John Hick Greater Good Defence - Keith Yandell Greater Glory Defence - Jonathan Edwards Integrity of Humans Defence - John Feinberg General Analysis: Sovereignty and Theodicy 5. TOWARD A MONERGISTIC ACCOUNT OF EVIL 125 The Question of Divine Purpose Evil and the Moral Justification of God The Origin of Moral Evil Conclusion 6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 181 VI APPENDIX 1 - BURNING HOUSE STORY 184 APPENDIX 2 - ASEITY, ONTOLOGY, AND FREEDOM 187 APPENDK 3 - MUST GOD CREATE THE BEST POSSIBLE WORLD? 190 BIBLIOGRAPHY 195 vn CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Statement of Purpose and Importance The purpose of this study is to construct a theological account of moral evil within a monergistic framework. The basic problem of evil may be stated as follows: If God is all powerful and perfectly good, why does evil exist? That moral evil exists is an undisputed fact in the vast majority of existent worldviews. The reality of evil stands in tension against the traditional Christian doctrines of the omnipotence and the goodness of God, a tension that presents itself as both an intellectual and an existential problem. Many Christians live with nagging doubts about whether their faith would stand the test of serious intellectual examination. They live with unexamined doubt either because they lack accessible resources to address such questions, or because they fear that such probing will cause their much cherished belief system to crumble. As a result, sincere inquirers and antagonistic opponents alike are often dismissed with simplistic answers that are neither satisfying nor inviting. To a large extent, Christians have deferred the question to professional apologists without engaging in sustained theological reflection in pursuit of a better understanding of the God they worship. The majority of contemporary discussion takes place among analytic philosophers utilizing highly technical arguments and often formal logic in the context of philosophy of religion and apologetics. Although there are some systematic and biblical theological treatments, there have been few extended treatments of the subject 1 2 in terms of a monergistic systematic theology.1 This thesis is an attempt to address the problem of evil from a monergistic theological perspective. A theological exploration of providence and evil will build the confidence of believers in their Christian faith and alleviate the dissonance caused by the intellectual problem of evil. It will also provide a theological foundation from which to develop a more specialized apologetic from a monergistic perspective. Furthermore, it will reinforce a theological worldview that informs the praxis of the church as we continue living in this world and responding to evil. Most importantly, a study of this theological issue can lead believers into a deeper understanding of God and his ways, thereby aiding them in living a life of faith, hope, and love in the presence of evil. Statement of the Problem The problem addressed in this study is: How can the monergistic understanding of the character and providential workings of God be reconciled with the presence of moral evil in the world? This problem divides into the following sub-problems. First, to what extent is God in control of the occurrences of moral evil in our world? Second, to the extent that God is in control of such occurrences of moral evil, for what possible reasons would he permit them? Third, how is God morally justified in his contributions to the present state of affairs in which moral evil is a reality? ' To my knowledge, Henri Blocher's Evil and the Cross (Vancouver: Regent College, 2003) is the only recent text in this class. John S. Feinberg's The Many Faces of Evil, Revised and Expanded Edition (Wheaton: Crossway, 2004) is an excellent text, but is basically a philosophical treatment. Jay E. Adams' The Grand Demonstration (Santa Barbara: EastGate Publishers, 1991) is written in popular style. D. A. Carson's How Long, O Lord? (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990) is a biblical theology. The vast majority of other contributions are from a synergistic perspective. 3 Definition of Terms For the purpose of this thesis, 'theism' refers to Christian monotheism, the belief in the existence of one God as described in the Bible and traditionally held by the church. The logical problem of evil is the claim that the propositions of theism, specifically those of divine omnipotence and goodness, are logically inconsistent with the existence of evil. The evidential problem of evil is the claim that the existence of evil makes it improbable that God exists. An existential problem of evil is a personal crisis of faith that arises from particular instances of evil or suffering in someone's life, as opposed to an intellectual problem arising from evil in general. A distinction is made between moral evil and natural evil. Moral evil refers to the desires, motives, thoughts, words, or acts of a moral agent that violate the perfect moral standards of God. Natural evil and natural suffering refer to adverse conditions or events in the created order, such as diseases, earthquakes, fires, floods, pestilences, hurricanes, and famine, which do not directly result from the acts of moral agents.4 While there are many varieties of moral theories and ways to classify them, I shall follow John Feinberg in dividing them into two broad categories.