The Evidential Argument from Evil (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion)

by Daniel Howard-Snyder

Is evil evidence against the existence of God? Even if God and evil are compatible, it remains hotly contested whether evil renders belief in God unreasonable. The Evidential Argument from Evil presents five classic statements on this issue by eminent philosophers and theologians and places them in dialogue with eleven original essays reflecting new thinking by these and other scholars. The volume focuses on two versions of the argument. The first affirms that there is no reason for God to permit either certain specific horrors or the variety and profusion of undeserved suffering. The second asserts that pleasure and pain, given their biological role, are better explained by hypotheses other than theism.Contributors include William P. Alston, Paul Draper, Richard M. Gale, Daniel Howard-Snyder, Alvin Plantinga, William L. Rowe, Bruce Russell, Eleonore Stump, Richard G. Swinburne, Peter van Inwagen, and Stephen John Wykstra.

Genres: Philosophy, Religion, Theology, Atheism

Unknown Binding

First published March 1, 1996

Reviews

[Matko · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important edition of top notch articles about the evidential argument from evil written by leading philosophers of religion like Plantinga, Rowe, Swinburne, van Inwagen, and Alston. Rowe's and Draper's original formulations are there, with replies and counter replies.

This collection is foremost important for bringing the debate on another level. Rowe's latest Bayesian formulation of the argument and Howard-Snyder's response is worth the price alone. For anyone who is a serious student of philosophy of religion, or is just concerned about the inscrutable evil that surrounds us and its implications on our worldviews, this book is an obligatory read.

[AH · Rating 5 out of 5]

With replies and counter replies on different objections and arguments, this book sets it self on my top twenty books to read on philosophy of religion. No doubt this book will continue to be of interest to everyone with any view on this subject such a great collection. reading it took some time but I'm glad that I moved through it.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of articles, though incredibly dense and difficult analytic philosophy to work through.

[Matthew Adelstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh--mostly just going back and forth with both sides expressing their view either that God might have a reason we don't know about for permitting evil or the opposite.

[Hanaa · Rating 1 out of 5]

You claim that per logical argument: for God to have a morally justifying reason to permit evil He could prevent AND the existence of evil there is an inconsistency that proves that God does not exist. So much so that you gave yourself the freedom to imagine that you have sent the argument FOR God to the “garbage of history” so to say. Actually God has an “extremely morally justifiable reason” to allow evil into this world that He could have prevented and that is “And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”Genesis 1:27 He did not create Artificial intelligence He created minds after His own likeness, with free wills. And He will not allow Himself though He can to subdue our free wills, hence plenty can mock Him, deny His existence, blaspheme Him. However, being Omnipotent He can make the greatest good out of the greatest evil. The Redemption of all mankind out of the Death and Cross of the Son of God. So there is a morally justifiable reason for God that caused Him to allow evil into the world.
Secondly: as to the evidential argument from evil. This is even more ridiculous. You or someone named mr Rowe says : there is evil in this earth. And because there is evil God does not exist. Well excuse me but duh!! There is Good on this earth. There is beauty on this earth. Why doesn’t it all crumble down over our ungrateful heads. Why don’t those planets out there just go berserk and bump into each other instead of circling in their orbits. And more importantly since you are so intelligently proving that God doesn’t exist what is keeping you going. What is the purpose of your life as opposed to the purpose of your not living? Why don’t you just kill yourself right now? Why don’t you rob your neighbor? Don’t you know it is God who says not to rob him? So go rob him then kill him. It’s not wrong if God doesn’t exist. You’re ok. 👍

P.S. perhaps it is our fault after all we are to blame because we did not shout it loud enough. We did not climb on a mountain high enough to proclaim that there is no longer a problem of evil on earth. You can rest your weary brains trying to find a way out of the dilemma of good and evil ( presuming good intentions) or you can stop “blackmailing” God for the evil in this world because the problem of evil has been erradicated on the Sunday that the Son of God was resurrected from death for all who will believe.

[Joel Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

essential reading for anyone interested in the problem of evil

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great.