For many centuries philosophers have been discussing the problem of evil - one of the greatest problems of intellectual history. There are many facets to the problem, and for students and scholars unfamiliar with the vast literature on the subject, grasping the main issues can be a daunting task. This Companion provides a stimulating introduction to the problem of evil. More than an introduction to the subject, it is a state-of-the-art contribution to the field which provides critical analyses of and creative insights on this longstanding problem. Fresh themes in the book include evil and the meaning of life, beauty and evil, evil and cosmic evolution, and anti-theodicy. Evil is discussed from the perspectives of the major monotheistic religions, agnosticism, and atheism. Written by leading scholars in clear and accessible prose, this book is an ideal companion for undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, and scholars across the disciplines.

Written by leading experts in theology
Provides critical analyses of evil from the perspective of major monotheistic religions, agnosticism, and atheism
Employs a unique perspective on evil not found in existing literature, appealing to both scholars and non-scholars alike

Table of Contents

Part I. Conceptual Issues and Controversies:
1. Evil and the meaning of life John Cottingham
2. Beauty and the problem of evil Charles Taliaferro
3. Logical arguments from evil and free will defences Graham Oppy
4. God, evil, and the nature of light Paul Draper
5. Skeptical theism Timothy Perrine and Stephen Wykstra
6. Evil, hiddenness, and atheism J. L. Shellenberg
7. Anti-theodicy N. N. Trakakis
Part II. Interdisciplinary Issues:
8. Cosmic evolution and evil Christopher Southgate
9. Ancient Near Eastern perspectives on evil and terror Margo Kitts
10. Judaism and the problem of evil Lenn Goodman
11. Christianity, atonement, and evil Paul S. Fiddes
12. Islam and the problem of evil Timothy Winter
13. Naturalism, evil, and God Michael Ruse

Editors

Chad Meister, Bethel College, Indiana
Chad Meister is Professor of Philosophy and Theology at Bethel College, Indiana, where he received the Professor of the Year award for teaching excellence. He is the author of Evil: A Guide for the Perplexed, 2nd edition (forthcoming), and co-editor of Five Views on the Problem of Evil (forthcoming), The History of Evil (six volumes, forthcoming), and the award-winning God Is Great, God Is Good (2009).

Paul K. Moser, Loyola University, Chicago
Paul Moser is Professor of Philosophy at Loyola University, Chicago. He is the author of The God Relationship (Cambridge, forthcoming) and the award-winning book The Elusive God: Reorienting Religious Epistemology (Cambridge, 2002). Other publications include The Evidence for God (Cambridge, 2009), The Severity of God (Cambridge, 2013), Knowledge and Evidence (Cambridge, 1991), Philosophy after Objectivity (1993), and Theory of Knowledge (1997). He is the editor and co-editor of Jesus and Philosophy (Cambridge, 2008), The Oxford Handbook of Epistemology (2005), and The Wisdom of the Christian Faith (Cambridge, 2012). He is the co-editor, with Chad Meister, of the Cambridge Studies in Religion, Philosophy, and Society series.

Contributors

John Cottingham, Charles Taliaferro, Graham Oppy, Paul Draper, Timothy Perrine, Stephen Wykstra, J. L. Shellenberg, N. N. Trakakis, Christopher Southgate, Margo Kitts, Lenn Goodman, Paul S. Fiddes, Timothy Winter, Michael Ruse