Unit 5: Challenges to Religion & Epistemology of Faith
Table of Contents
The Problem of Evil
The Problem of Evil is the most significant challenge to traditional monotheism. It questions how an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God can allow suffering and evil to exist.
Logical vs. Evidential Problem
- Logical Problem: Claims that the existence of God and evil are logically inconsistent. If God is omnipotent, He can stop evil; if He is omnibenevolent, He wants to stop evil. Yet evil exists.
- Evidential Problem: Admits they might coexist but argues that the sheer amount of pointless suffering makes the existence of God highly improbable.
Theodicies (Justifying God)
A theodicy is an attempt to resolve the problem of evil:
- Free Will Defense: Evil is the result of human free will. God chose to create free beings, which is a greater good, even if they sometimes choose evil.
- Soul-Making Theodicy (Irenaeus/Hick): Evil and suffering are necessary tools for spiritual growth and the development of moral character.
Faith, Reason, and Revelation
This section explores the epistemological grounds of religious belief—how we know what we claim to know about the divine.
1. Faith and Reason
Philosophers debate the extent to which religious belief must be supported by evidence:
- Fideism: The view that faith is independent of, or even superior to, reason. Reason cannot grasp divine truths.
- Rationalism: The belief that religious claims must be subjected to the same logical scrutiny as any other claim.
2. Revelation
Revelation refers to knowledge of God or religious truths communicated directly by the divine.
- General Revelation: Knowing God through the observation of nature and reason.
- Special Revelation: Direct communication through scripture, prophets, or miracles.
Mysticism
Mysticism involves the pursuit of direct, personal, and transformative experience of ultimate reality or God.
Characteristics of Mystical Experience (William James)
- Ineffability: The experience cannot be fully described in words.
- Noetic Quality: It provides a deep sense of insight or knowledge.
- Transiency: The experience is usually brief.
- Passivity: The mystic feels as though they are being grasped by a superior power.
Exam Focus: Unit 5 Enhancements
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between Moral Evil and Natural Evil?
A: Moral Evil is caused by human choice (murder, theft). Natural Evil is caused by nature (earthquakes, diseases).
Q: Can Faith be rational?
A: Philosophers like Aquinas argued that faith and reason are compatible—reason can prove God exists, but faith is needed to understand specific revelations.
Common Mistakes
Do not define Mysticism as merely "mystery." In philosophy, it is a specific type of experience that claims to give direct contact with the divine.
Exam Tip
When discussing the Problem of Evil, always link it to the "Attributes of God" studied in Unit 2. The conflict only arises if you assume God is all-powerful and all-good.