The Problem of Evil: New Philosophical Directions

(Hardback)

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This book engages the problem of evil from a variety of philosophical viewpoints, traditions, methodologies, and interests. For millennia, philosophers, theologians, and people outside of the academy have thought about evil and its relation to religious belief. The Problem of Evil: New Philosophical Directions aims to take this history of thought into evil while also extending the discourse in other directions; providing a multi-faceted collection of papers that take heed of the various ways one can think about evil and what role in may play in philosophical considerations of religion. From the nature of evil to the well-known problem of evil to the discussion of the problem in philosophical discourse, the collection provides a wide range of philosophical approaches to evil. Anyone interested in evilits nature, relation to religious belief, its use in philosophical discussion, and so onwill find the papers in this book of interest.

Reviews

The sheer variety of essays in this volume demonstrates the plethora of entry points into approaching the problem of evil in contemporary philosophy of religion and philosophical theology, resulting in an increase in specialized studies on particular theoretical and historical aspects of the problem of evil. This books eclectic collection of essays reflects this reality. Without a doubt the best part of this volume is the Introduction by editors Robert Arp and Benjamin W. McGraw. Together they ably survey the landscape of philosophical (or religious, theological, etc.) thought about evil (17). In particular, Arp and McGraw detail The Nature of Evil (1-6), The Problem of Evil (6-10), Responses to the Problem of Evil (10-15), and The Meta-Problem of Evil (15-18). These pages cover the main theoretical issues concisely and would serve well as an introduction to the problem of evil in philosophy courses. Overall, The Problem of Evil will appeal to specialists on the problem of evil and theodicy, and especially to philosophers. * Reading Religion *
Despite a long history of attempts to address it, the problem of evil remains a problem. Diverse, rigorous, and original, this volume is an important contribution to the contemporary debates due to its remarkable existential awareness. Bringing together atheists and theists, analytic and continental philosophers, and emerging and established scholars, this volume is a significant step forward for the philosophy of religion. -- J. Aaron Simmons, Furman University

Author Bio

Robert Arp is a research analyst for the US Army. Benjamin W. McCraw teaches philosophy at University of South Carolina Upstate.