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The
Problem of Evil
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Saint Martin's
College Humanities Division Department of Religious Studies David Suter homepage Return to course list Campus office: 366 Campus phone: (360) 438-4360 Office hours: MWF 2:00-250 PM; TR 10:00-10:50 AM Email contact here |
Description General Education Texts Requirements Topics and Assignments |
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Why do bad things happen to good people?
What do we make of the
language of insurance policies that speak of "acts of God"? How do we account
for moral evil, or sin, in the world, the good creation of a good God? If we
cannot say why, what do we do when we encounter suffering or
evil? These questions are as old as the book of Job and as contemporary
September the eleventh. The Problem of Evil explores the Biblical symbolism of
evil, the struggle with evil in Christian and Jewish thought, and the imagery of
evil in contemporary literature. |
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This course qualifies for general education credit at Saint Martin's College. The aims and objectives of general education at Saint Martin's College include the goal that "Saint Martin's College graduates will have an understanding of religious and philosophical concepts and principles, and of the moral and ethical questions they will face in society and the professions." The Problem of Evil raises questions that have driven theologians and laypersons alike to seek answers from God concerning God's purposes in human life. These questions have frequently led human beings to seek depth in understanding the ways of God. The course is intended to equip students for life through reflection upon issues that will concern many over the course of life. |
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Texts· John Steinbeck, East of Eden (Penguin Books: Harmondsworth, Eng., 1979). · Albert Camus, The Plague (Modern Library: New York, 1948). The following two books are out of print, but one or the other would be of assistance in understanding the issues of the course. I will make available a copy of one chapter from Heagle dealing with Augustine and Irenaeus and will try to put a copy of each on reserve in the main campus library. · John Heagle, Suffering and Evil (Thomas More Press: Chicago, 1987). · John Hick, Evil and the God of Love, Revised Edition (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1978). In addition, the student will need a contemporary translation of the Bible. Please consult the professor concerning the acceptability of the one you plan to use (the New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, and New International Version are all acceptable, while the King James Version and the Living Bible are not). |
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The grade will be based on three short essays (focus papers) due at regular intervals during the course and a term paper or project due at the end of the course. The focus papers are to be four to five pages in length and are to explore a topic or issue related to the assigned readings and class discussions. Some topics will be assigned by the professor, others are to be selected by the student. Late papers may be lowered a letter grade. The term paper should be about eight pages in length, the topic to be determined in consultation with the professor. For the final grade, the term paper will count twenty five percent and the essays sixty percent. Fifteen percent of the final grade will be based on class participation. All written work must be the student’s own. Quotations and ideas derived from others must be properly noted. In accordance with the rules on academic dishonesty in the college catalog, plagiarism will be grounds for failure of assignment or course, depending upon the seriousness of the offense in the professor’s judgment. Students are expected to attend all classes and to come prepared to discuss the assigned readings. |
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments Some students in past versions of this class have found it interesting and helpful to read all of the assignments near the beginning of the semester. This is not an expectation but a suggestion. Reading assignments should be completed on the first day on which they are assigned to facilitate class discussion.
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