Robert R. Williams

Theodicy, Tragedy, and Soteriology: The Legacy of Schleiermacher

Despite the dilution of contemporary ethical substance by the triumph of the therapeutic, the problem of evil continues to bite. A postwar optimism that saw in technology a potential solution for every problem has been overtaken and eclipsed by a pessimism which now perceives the same technology as threatening the existence and survival of human life. The current mood has a tragic strain manifesting itself in some secular negative theodicies that see “life as unfair” and the universe run by a malevolent creator. Theology and philosophy of religion have not been entirely insulated from such perceptions. There has been considerable discussion of, and dissatisfaction with, traditional theologies and theodocies, which have prompted further investigation and search for alternatives. Two popular and widely read texts manifest the contemporary theological mood. John Hick and Paul Ricoeur discuss and criticize the classical Augustinian scheme as a theodicy. When the classical scheme is taken critically as an account of evil, it is seen to contain serious antinomies. Hence both Hick and Ricoeur seek an alternative account of evil.