St. Augustine Theodicy

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One solution to the problem of evil and suffering is the Augustinian Theodicy, proposed by St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD). Augustine’s theodicy is entirely based on the Bible, and focuses on Genesis 1 and Genesis 3. He stated that God made the world perfect, which is based on Genesis 1 – “all God had made pleased him”, and the world was free of flaws or any evil. His theodicy says that since God did not create evil, it is not a ‘thing’ and instead taught that evil was an absence or ‘privation’ of good, brought into the world by humans and angels who have turned away from God. He believes evil was brought into the world when Adam and Eve turned away from God by eating forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge in Genesis 3. Because of this,

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