Overview

The aim of this book is to ascertain how ancient Greek and Latin authors, both pagan and Christian, formulated and answered what is now called the problem of evil. The survey ranges chronologically from the classical and Hellenistic eras, through the Roman era, to the end of the pagan world. Six of the twelve chapters are devoted to Christianity (including Manichaeism), as one thesis of the book is that the problem of evil takes an acute form only for Christians, since no other philosophy of antiquity posits a personal God exercising providence over individuals without having to overcome countervailing forces. None the less it will also be shown that Greek philosophies, Platonism in particular, come close to the Christian formulation. Being conscious of the affinity between Greek thought and their own, early Christians respond to the problem of evil in the same way as the philosophers, by questioning the existence of evil rather than of the divine.

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9781725271630

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"""This rich book uniquely offers a splendid panorama of reflections on evil in classical antiquity, from the origins of Greek literature and philosophy to the various formulations of the problem of evil in early Christianity and in patristic literature until the fifth century. Mark Edwards, who perfectly marshals all these highly different fields, writes in a clear and sharp style, succeeding to be this rare thing: at once a philosophical and a theological historian."" --Guy G. Stroumsa, professor emeritus, University of Oxford and Hebrew University of Jerusalem ""What counts as a believable answer to the problem of evil depends on the way our questions are framed. Mark Edwards defamiliarizes a problem we think we know by representing past approaches that challenge our understanding not only of theodicy but also of ethics in the broadest sense. With matchless fluency, he juxtaposes worldviews from within antiquity and modernity and clarifies what is at stake in them."" --Judith Wolfe, professor of philosophical theology, University of St. Andrews ""Mark Edwards gifts his readers perhaps the first ever historical account of attitudes to the problem of evil in the ancient world. Drawing on his unparalleled erudition and argued with impeccably precise judgment, the work surveys a millennium and a half of Greek literature, philosophy, and Christian theology. As ever, antiquity emerges as a dazzling mix of the familiar and the unexpected, and the author is a brilliant guide to both."" --Johannes Zachhuber, professor of historical and systematic theology, University of Oxford ""In this illuminating book, Mark Edwards surveys approaches to the problem of evil from Homer to Dionysios the Areopagite. With awesome knowledge of the abundant scholarly discussion and with a sharply critical--sometimes withering--intelligence, Edwards cuts through to the ancient texts themselves. In his epilogue, he wonders whether anyone in the ancient world really addressed what in modern thought passes for the 'problem of evil.'"" --Andrew Louth, professor emeritus of patristic and Byzantine studies, Durham University"

"""This rich book uniquely offers a splendid panorama of reflections on evil in classical antiquity, from the origins of Greek literature and philosophy to the various formulations of the problem of evil in early Christianity and in patristic literature until the fifth century. Mark Edwards, who perfectly marshals all these highly different fields, writes in a clear and sharp style, succeeding to be this rare thing: at once a philosophical and a theological historian."" --Guy G. Stroumsa, professor emeritus, University of Oxford and Hebrew University of Jerusalem ""What counts as a believable answer to the problem of evil depends on the way our questions are framed. Mark Edwards defamiliarizes a problem we think we know by representing past approaches that challenge our understanding not only of theodicy but also of ethics in the broadest sense. With matchless fluency, he juxtaposes worldviews from within antiquity and modernity and clarifies what is at stake in them."" --Judith Wolfe, professor of philosophical theology, University of St. Andrews ""Mark Edwards gifts his readers perhaps the first ever historical account of attitudes to the problem of evil in the ancient world. Drawing on his unparalleled erudition and argued with impeccably precise judgment, the work surveys a millennium and a half of Greek literature, philosophy, and Christian theology. As ever, antiquity emerges as a dazzling mix of the familiar and the unexpected, and the author is a brilliant guide to both."" --Johannes Zachhuber, professor of historical and systematic theology, University of Oxford ""In this illuminating book, Mark Edwards surveys approaches to the problem of evil from Homer to Dionysios the Areopagite. With awesome knowledge of the abundant scholarly discussion and with a sharply critical--sometimes withering--intelligence, Edwards cuts through to the ancient texts themselves. In his epilogue, he wonders whether anyone in the ancient world really addressed what in modern thought passes for the 'problem of evil.'"" --Andrew Louth, professor emeritus of patristic and Byzantine studies, Durham University"

Author Information

Mark Edwards is professor of early Christian studies at the University of Oxford, where he has taught since 1993. His books include Origen against Plato (2002), Culture and Philosophy in the Age of Plotinus (2006), Religions of the Constantinian Empire (2015), and Aristotle in Early Christian Thought (2019).

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