Problem of Evil

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 book's 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