November 12, 2025Religions0 citationsOpen Access

The Problem of Evil, Rhetoric, and the Drama of the Divine Economy

Key Points

The study reveals that the Problem of Evil raises important issues in analytic philosophy of religion, especially in relation to personal suffering.
Significantly, anti-theodicy suggests that traditional responses to the Problem of Evil may be morally questionable.
By adopting George Campbell’s perspective on rhetoric, the analysis explores how biblical narratives can enrich theodical arguments.
Highlighting the necessity for a more nuanced approach with rhetoric indicates potential for meaningful discourse on evil.

Abstract

The contemporary debate over the problem of evil in analytic philosophy of religion is prone to focusing solely on the problem as an abstract dialectical issue that only concerns philosophers. However, this focus on abstract solutions to the problem of evil can seem to be less compelling in the face of personally experienced suffering, and it has given rise to newer approaches to the problem of evil, including anti-theodicy, which is the idea that theodicy itself is morally problematic. To remedy these issues, theists must turn to rhetoric to supplement theodicy. George Campbell’s view of rhetoric provides great insights into possible solutions, showing how including biblical narratives in theodicy can provide more comprehensive and compelling explanations for why God allows evil.

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