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Glite Dictionary
theodicy

theodicy

2 9.9
A study that explains why a good God allows evil
  • noun
  • /θiˈɑdəsi/
  • Specialized
: teodicea
  • Cases of irreparable harm therefore create a prima facie problem for any theodicy.
  • the problem of theodicy
  • Leibniz's theodicy

But what if these same theodicies work in reverse and can also reconcile the existence of good with an evil God?

Examples

  • The study of theodicy examines how believers reconcile the existence of evil with the belief in a just and good God.

  • For purely educational purposes, the above quote from Epicurus encapsulates what is termed Theodicy, or more colloquially, the Problem of Evil.

    Blog text (27)

  • I reject all modern theodicy as a starting point.

    Blog text (16)

  • When divine justice is left unchecked, the problem of theodicy becomes inevitable.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Augustine wrestled his whole life with the problems of evil, with what later would be called theodicy.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The poem seems to ask the eternal question of theodicy: as Tom Waits put it, "Why are the wicked so strong?"

    Blog text (24)

  • The question of right speech about the mystery of God in suffering has moved many to discuss theodicy and human freedom, and has persuaded many others to rethink the understanding of God in relation to the world itself.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Philosophers and theologians often write about theodicy when grappling with questions about suffering and divine justice.

  • The challenge of theodicy is to understand why a benevolent God would allow pain and suffering in the world.

Surface Forms

theodicy singular
theodicies plural

Morphology

theodicy = theo + dic + y

Contains Greek combining forms meaning 'god' + 'justice', so the general idea ('justice concerning God') is recoverable, but the specialised theological sense 'a defence or justification of God's goodness in the face of evil' is not fully predictable for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

The word theodicy comes from Greek parts theo- ('god') and dike ('justice'), so it literally means 'god's justice' and you can see theo- in the word theology. That's why theodicy is the study of how people try to explain or defend God's goodness when bad things happen.