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GOD, SUFFERING AND EVIL
T-430 Spring 2017
McCORMICK THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Anna Case-Winters, Professor of Theology
773-947-6321
COURSE DESCRIPTION: If God is good and all-powerful, why is there so much suffering and evil in the world? This is a troubling and perplexing question to which Christian tradition has offered a wide range of responses. This class will examine and evaluate theological responses and will also explore approaches to raising and addressing this difficult question in ministry settings. Prerequisite: T-300
REQUIRED READING:
Case-Winters, Anna. God's Power: Traditional Understandings and Contemporary Challenges. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1990. ISBN 664251064 (Intro, Chapters 1-7)
Davis, Stephen T. Encountering Evil: Live Options in Theodicy. Louisville: Westminster/John
Knox Press, 2001. ISBN 66422251X (Chapters 1-4)
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. “Rebellion” in The Problem of Evil: Selected Readings. Notre Dame, IN:
University of Notre Dame Press, 1992. (POSTED)
Farley, Wendy. Tragic Vision and Divine Compassion. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox
Press, 1990. ISBN 664250963 (All)
Hall, Douglas John. God and Human Suffering: An Exercise in the Theology of the Cross.
Philadelphia: Augsburg, 2004. ISBN 806623144 (All)
Hick, John. Evil and the God of Love. New York: Harper & Row, 1978. (Chapters III and IV)
(POSTED)
Katz, Fred. Selections from Ordinary People and Extraordinary Evil. New York: SUNY Press,
1993. (pp. 61-98) (POSTED)
Kushner, Harold. Selections from When Bad Things Happen to Good People. New York:
Schocken Books, 1981. (Chapters 2 and 4) (POSTED)
Inbody, Tyron. Transforming God: In Interpretation of Suffering and Evil. Louisville, KY:
Westminster/John Knox, 1997. ISBN: 664257119 (Introduction and Chapter 1) (POSTED)
Johnson, Elizabeth. Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love. New York: Bloomsbury,
2014. ISBN:978-1-49729-0373-0 (POSTED)
Park, Andrew Sung. The Wounded Heart of God. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1993. ISBN:
68738538 (Introduction and Chapter 1) (POSTED)
Sobrino, Jon. Where is God? Earthquake, Terrorism, Barbarity and Hope. Maryknoll, NY:
Orbis, 2004. ISBN: 1-57075-566-5 (Chapter 7) (POSTED)
Southgate, Christopher. The Groaning of Creation: God, Evolution, and the Problem of Evil.
Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-664-23090-6 (Introduction) (POSTED)
Swinton, John. Raging with Compassion: Pastoral Responses to the Problem of Evil. Grand
Rapids, MI: Eerdmanns, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-8028-2997-9 (Chapter 1) (POSTED)
Townes, Emilie M. ed. A Troubling in My Soul: Womanist Perspectives on Evil and Suffering.
Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1993. ISBN: 883777835 (Chapter 8) (POSTED)
Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Bantam Books, 1960. 1SBN 0374500010 (All)
CLASS SCHEDULE:
February 8 Session One:
Introduction of Course Plan and Requirements
Presentation: God, Suffering and Evil: Defining the Problem and its Terms
A Reconsideration of Evil
February 15 Session Two:
Presentation: Traditional Approaches to the Consideration of Evil
Discussion: The Augustinian Type of Theodicy
Readings: Hick Ch. III, IV, and VIII
February 22 Session Three:
Presentation: Catholic and Reformed Perspectives on the Free Will Defense
Discussion: The Augustinian Type of Theodicy (continued)
Readings: Case-Winters, Preface, Introduction and Ch. 1-3; Davis, Ch.3
March 1 Session Four:
Presentation: Creaturely Vulnerability as the Occasion for Evil: Tragically Structured Finite
Freedom
Discussion: The Irenaean Type of Theodicy
Readings: Hick, Ch. IX and XI; Farley Ch. 1-2, Davis Ch. 2
March 8 Session Five:
FIELD TRIP TO HOLOCAUST MUSEUM IN PLACE OF CLASS MEETING
Note: Students can go at the same time as class or on the weekend prior to or after class. Note the times the Museum is open.
Readings: Prior to field trip read all of Wiesel and the posted selections from Katz.
A Reconsideration of Goodness
March 15 Session Six
Debriefing Wiesel and Holocaust Museum Visit
Presentation: "Tragic Vision and Divine Compassion: Solidarity and Resistance"
Discussion: The Protest Type of Theodicy
Readings: Farley, Ch. 3-5; Davis, Ch.1; Posted Dostoevsky and Katz
DUE TODAY:
Field Trip Reflection and Reading Response
Written Assignment: A response (two page, single-spaced) to the experience of the Holocaust Museum and reading Night. Let the following prompts guide you:
1. The exhibit/picture that moved me most was…. Because….
2. My thinking about the nature/reality of evil was illumined in the following way(s)….
3. Wiesel’s reflections deepened my understanding by…
4. If asked “where is God in all of this,” I would want to say….
March 22 READING WEEK -- NO CLASS -- WORK AHEAD
March 29 Session Seven
DUE TODAY:
Ministry Resource Proposal
Bring one paragraph description of the Ministry Resource you plan to create. Will test preliminary ideas in class.
Presentation: God and Human Suffering
Discussion: Theology of the Cross
Readings: Hall (All but appendix)
A Reconsideration of Power
April 5 Session Eight
Presentations:
I. God as “That Than Which Nothing Greater Can Be Conceived”
II. God as “The Fellow Sufferer Who Understands”
Discussion: Process Theodicy
Readings: Case-Winters, Ch. 4 – 7; Davis, Ch. 4; Posted: Suchocki and Kushner
Practical Considerations
April 12 Session Nine
Presentation: Pastoral Considerations
Readings: Posted – Inbody, Kushner, Swinton
Workshop sharing Congregational Resources
Book Review: Inbody, Swinton
DUE TODAY:
Congregational Resource
April 19 Session Ten
Presentation: Suffering and Social/Political/Economic Considerations
Readings: Posted – Park, Sobrino, Townes
Book Reviews: Park, Sobrino, Townes
April 26 Session Eleven
Presentation: The Groaning of Creation: Part I Cruciform Nature
Readings: Posted – Southgate, Johnson
Book Review: Southgate, Johnson
May 3 Session Twelve
Presentation: The Groaning of Creation: Part II Ecological Irresponsibility
DUE TODAY:
Disputation
REQUIREMENTS and GRADING:
1. Class preparation, attendance, and participation. It is expected that students come to all classes having read the assigned materials and being well prepared to engage in informed discussion. In the event there is an emergency and a class must be missed, credit for class can be made up with a three to five-page (double spaced) exposition/response paper on the readings of the day. This will serve as a way of processing the material as the class will be doing. The paper constitutes 3% of the overall grade. (30%)
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2. Field Trip and Reflection. Participation in a visit to the Holocaust Museum in Skokie (to be arranged) and completion of the related writing assignment. Reflection Due March 15 in class. (10%)
3. Ministry Resource. Preparation of one of the following approaches to engaging a people in reflection upon the problem of suffering and evil. Proposal is Due March 29. Resource is Due April 12 (10%)
a. A sermon (texts and 12 minute sermon);
b. An order of worship for a memorial service (including all parts, drafted prayers, selected hymns with words, etc); Detailed and explicated.
c. A 4-week lesson plan for adult education (Detailed and explicated)
d. A plan for a weekend retreat (Detailed and explicated)
e. Something else???
4. Book Review (five pages, double spaced) and (10 minute) presentation on your self-select reading. Presentations are due according to the Presentation Due April 12, 19, and 26 depending upon book selected. Written report is due Due May 3. (10%)
5. Disputation. Select one of the following disputation (yes or no!) questions to answer in a civil but engaged conversation. Due May 3 on the last day of class: Prepare a five minute statement of your position. (10%)
#1 Concerning Moral Evil and Natural Catastrophes
Whether a natural disaster (i.e. the sudden destruction of our universe) or a human catastrophe (i.e. Auschwitz, nuclear holocaust) is compatible with the existence of a deity who is utterly good and utterly powerful.
#2 Concerning Human Freedom and Divine Power
Whether or not human freedom can account for all evil in the world and is compatible with affirming God as utterly sovereign.
#3 Concerning the Evidence of History and the Promise of Eschatology
Whether the claim that world process is teleological (directional) and is moving toward a divinely ordained end solves the problem of theodicy.
6. Final Paper. A 10-15 page paper on the following general question: "In what sense (if any) can God's unlimited power and goodness be affirmed given the pervasive presence of evil in world process and world history?" Due May 10. (30%)