Evil: A Guide For The Perplexed Is A Lively Examination Of The Philosophical And Theological Problems Raised By The Existence Of Widespread Evil. It Explores Classic Debates Around This Problem And Also Engages With More Recent Ones, From New Challenges Posed By Scientific Advances In Evolutionary Theory, Neuroscience, And Cosmology, To Concerns Of Climate Change And Environmental Degradation, To Questions Raised By Increasing Religious And Secular Violence. This Second Edition Also Contains New Chapters And Topics Such As Jewish, Christian, And Islamic Responses To Evil And Skeptical Theism. The Result Is An Even-handed Guide To Both Traditional And Contemporary Issues Raised By The Reality And Ubiquity Of Evil. -- Provided By Publisher What Is Evil? -- Problems Of Evil -- Free-will And Soul-making Theodicies -- A Global Theodicy Of Fulfillment -- Anti-theodicy, Misotheism, And Theodicy Of Protest -- The Problem Of Divine Hiddenness -- Evil, Atheism, And The Problem Of Good -- Evil And Suffering In Hinduism And Buddhism -- Eternal Goods And The Triumph Over Evil. Chad V. Meister. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 181-206) And Index. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition 1 What Is Evil? Classifying Evil Theism and Evil Nontraditional Accounts of God and Evil The Existential Problem of Evil Responding to Evil For Further Reading 2 Problems of Evil The Logical Argument from Evil Evidential Arguments from Evil Concluding Reflections For Further Reading 3 Free-Will and Soul-Making Theodicies A Free-Will Theodicy A Soul-Making Theodicy Concluding Reflections For Further Reading 4 A Global Theodicy of Fulfillment Concluding Reflections For Further Reading 5 Anti-Theodicy, Misotheism, and Theodicy of Protest Misotheism and Theodicy of Protest Anti-Theodicy Concluding Reflections For Further Reading 6 The Problem of Divine Hiddenness An Argument for God’s Nonexistence Some Possible Reasons for Divine Hiddenness Divine Hiddenness and Experiencing God For Further Reading 7 Evil, Atheism, and the Problem of Good Problems of Evil and the Problem of Good The Problem of Good and the Moral Argument for God Concluding Reflections For Further Reading 8 Evil and Suffering in Hinduism and Buddhism Karma and Rebirth A Hindu Conception of Ultimate Reality and Evil A Buddhist Conception of Ultimate Reality and Suffering Objections to Karma and Rebirth Concluding Reflections For Further Reading 9 Eternal Goods and the Triumph over Evil Horrendous Evil and Eternal Goods Evil and the Afterlife Confronting Evil For Further Reading Preface to the Second Edition Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 One of the most perplexing problems facing believers in God is the problem of evil. The words of Epicurus put the point concisely:'Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?'This is a difficult problem to unpick and it remains an issue that continues to concern people and inspire debate. The problem has taken a variety of forms over the centuries; in fact, there are numerous'problems'of evil-problems for theists but, perhaps surprisingly, problems for non-theists as well. Evil: A Guide for the Perplexed explores, in a rigorous but engaging way, central challenges to religious belief raised by evil and suffering in the world as well as significant responses to them from both theistic and non-theistic perspectives. "Evil: A Guide for the Perplexed is a lively examination of the philosophical and theological problems raised by the existence of widespread evil. It explores classic debates around this problem and also engages with more recent ones, from new challenges posed by scientific advances in evolutionary theory, neuroscience, and cosmology, to concerns of climate change and environmental degradation, to questions raised by increasing religious and secular violence. This second edition also contains new chapters and topics such as Jewish, Christian, and Islamic responses to evil and skeptical theism. The result is an even-handed guide to both traditional and contemporary issues raised by the reality and ubiquity of evil."--Bloomsbury Publishing.
