Abstract

This dissertation deals with the problem of evil as it has been addressed in the Gifford Lectures from their beginning in 1888 to 1986. The thesis underlying the work is that the Gifford Lectures have furthered our understanding of the problem of evil. The methodology employed is to analyze what the Gifford Lectures have said about the problem of evil in light of four distinct "problems" of evil which have been identified by recent analytical philosophers. These four "problems" of evil are the logical problem of evil, the probabilistic problem of evil, the existential problem of evil, and the unanswered questions argument or theodicy. ;This work has divided the Gifford Lectures into four roughly equivalent periods of time . These periods reflect the influence of optimism, Neo-orthodoxy, scientism, and the modern era. A relatively equal number of scholars dealing with the problem of evil are found in each period. The answer each lecturer gives to questions such as "What does God do while people are suffering?", "How is evil overcome?" and "Is evil necessary?" are considered when possible. The discussion also attempts to identify how each lecturer formulates the problem of evil and how each finally deals with the problem. In keeping with the grid suggested above, each lecturer's comments will be analyzed to determine which aspect of the problem of evil is being addressed. ;The logical problem of evil concerns whether evil's existence is logically consistent with an omnipotent and morally good God. The probabilistic problem of evil is that the amount and/or kinds of evil in the world make the existence of God improbable. A theodicy attempts to show that God is justified in allowing evil to exist, usually by seeking to demonstrate that God has or may have morally sufficient reasons for permitting evil to exist and to articulate what those reasons may be. The existential problem of evil is the emotional and spiritual difficulty caused by the existence of evil in the world. ;The topic chosen by some lecturers excludes or limits consideration of the problem of evil from the outset. Others whose topics call for treatment of the problem of evil refuse or fail to confront or honestly deal with the problem of evil in any creative way. Some lecturers attempt to deal with evil within the framework of traditional Christian theism while others modify the concepts of traditional theism in order to solve the problem of evil