The possibility that God exists, together with the apparent existence of a great deal of evil, raises a wide range of vexing problems and questions, the most central of which can be expressed as follows: "If the world was created by a perfectly good and perfectly powerful God, why does it contain so much evil?" The Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil presents a collection of original essays contributed by established and emerging scholars who clarify and evaluate various problems of evil and arguments from evil. Initial chapters outline and classify myriad problems of evil--some of which arise only for theists, others only for non-theists. Subsequent essays offer various explanations and justifications for evils that exist in our world, including appeals to free-will, character-formation, and others. A final section explores the epistemic ramifications of arguments from evil, including skepticism about our ability to distinguish whether evils in the world actually serve a greater purpose. Consideration of the topic from four religion-specific theodicies--Hindu, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish--introduces various viewpoints and perspectives on the problem of evil. Provocative and timely, The Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil represents an invaluable scholarly contribution to the latest thinking on the most serious objection to the existence of an omnipotent and benevolent higher power.
