Category: Problem of Evil
Bart Ehrman: Apocalypticism and Human Suffering
Bart D. Ehrman, Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020), 106-107. It [i.e. suffering] would make sense if there were no God. Or if there were many gods, some of whom were nasty. But how can it… Continue Reading “Bart Ehrman: Apocalypticism and Human Suffering”
The Weekly Roundup – 9.13.19
It’s back! The Weekly Roundup has returned from its hiatus since earlier this summer. Since I was responsible for the August 2019 Biblical Studies Carnival, I suspended work on the Roundup to prepare for that. But that has been submitted and so I’ll resume… Continue Reading “The Weekly Roundup – 9.13.19”
The Weekly Roundup – 7.5.19
I was finally able to listen to part 2 of “Pete ruins Exodus” over at the podcast The Bible for Normal People. As usual, great material looking at the beginning stages of Moses’ call to Egypt, including that bizarre scene in Exodus 4:24-26. The… Continue Reading “The Weekly Roundup – 7.5.19”
The Weekly Roundup – 6.28.19
“Aren’t mistakes, contradictions, myth, etc exactly what you would expect from a non-divine book?”– @AlchemistNon @AlchemistNon has a new post over at his blog on why he left Christianity. Our stories have a lot of similarities: a fervency for evangelism, continuous reading of the… Continue Reading “The Weekly Roundup – 6.28.19”
The Weekly Roundup – 12.7.18
“The death of the messiah [in Mark’s Gospel], at the hour of the cross, is the advent of the υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, who has come with great power and glory (13:26).” – Danny Yencich On 11.25.18 Twitter users @Shann_Q0 and @paulogia0 had a discussion with… Continue Reading “The Weekly Roundup – 12.7.18”
James Anderson Tries to Answer, “Why Did God Allow the Fall?”
When Christians talk about “the Fall,” they aren’t referring to Autumn. The Fall in Christian theology is a reference to the sin of Adam and Eve which resulted in their receiving a sinful nature. This caused a rift between humanity and God that only… Continue Reading “James Anderson Tries to Answer, “Why Did God Allow the Fall?””
Jonathan Garner: Skeptical Theists Admit Defeat
Some of you may have heard of “Skeptical Theism,” the position that says that while God exists it may be impossible to discern correctly his motives for allowing things like evil in the universe. For a decent introduction to Skeptical Theism, check out this… Continue Reading “Jonathan Garner: Skeptical Theists Admit Defeat”
Tim Bayne: Why Should Soul-Making Be Necessary?
Tim Bayne, Philosophy of Religion: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2018), 68. Even if advocates of the soul-making theodicy can show that the benefits of soul-making are absorbed by the badness of the evils that give rise to them, one might ask why… Continue Reading “Tim Bayne: Why Should Soul-Making Be Necessary?”
The Amateur Exegete 