The Encyclopedia of World Religions

446 S theology

Theodicy has not been so large a problem out side Judaism and Christianity. Most Muslims insist that human beings should not question God’s judgments. Zoroastrians, Gnostics, and other dual ists see the universe as a battleground between the forces of good and evil. Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains attribute evil and suffering to KARMA , that is, acts done in previous life. theology A subject of study, especially within C HRISTIANITY . The word “theology” comes from a Greek word that means “talk about G OD ” As a definition of theology, this phrase is too narrow. Theology talks about many other topics, too. Clas sical theological topics include the nature of God, God’s relation to the world and to human beings, and SALVATION . In general, theology tries to state the truths of a particular religion, most often Christianity, from the perspective of someone who practices that reli gion. But theology does not simply assert basic beliefs. CREEDS and confessions do that. Theology tries to state a religion’s truths in ways that stand up to careful examination. DO ALL RELIGIONS HAVE THEOLOGY? Theology has been extremely important for Chris tians. During the medieval period, western Europe developed universities. In these universities the ology was the most important subject of study. People called it “the queen of the sciences.” Today theology no longer holds this position. But the Christian heritage has strongly influenced what the word “theology” means. Many cultures have developed traditions of thinking that use abstract propositions. In such cultures some people try to state the truths of their religion in rigorous and sophisticated ways. But it is questionable whether these efforts are “theology.” It is possible to speak of Jewish and Islamic theology. But one must be careful. Christianity has tended to define itself in terms of beliefs. By contrast, J UDAISM and I SLAM have tended to define themselves in terms of practice. Rigorous, intel

mercilessly attacked the idea that “all is arranged for the best in this best of all possible worlds.” Many have tried to show, however, why evil and suffering must exist in the best possible world. Many Jews and Christians have explained evil and suffering in terms of free will ( see FREE WILL AND DETERMINISM ). God wanted, they say, to create human beings, not robots. Therefore, he gave them the opportunity to make choices. It is inevitable that some people choose to do evil. The traditional objection to this view is that not all suffering results from human actions. What about a child who dies of cancer? The ancient Christian thinker A UGUSTINE OF H IPPO had an answer. He said that natural catastrophes and hardships entered the world when human beings first sinned. Another explanation says that evil and suffer ing are actually good for people. They help people grow and mature. If people lived in paradise, they would remain childish and never develop their full potential. The ancient Christian thinker, Irenaeus, developed this view. There is, however, a problem with the responses given above. They basically tell people that they cannot expect God’s help when they most desper ately want it. If evil and suffering are an inevitable part of the world, or a necessary consequence of free will, or part of “growing up,” what good is God in the midst of evil and suffering? Faced with the question “why?” in the midst of human tragedy, many RABBIS , priests, and min isters simply answer, “We do not know.” Another option says that God is good but cannot do every thing, Rabbi Harold Kushner took this position in his popular book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People (1981). A third view emphasizes that God suffers with people and sustains them. Chris tians look to J ESUS suffering on the cross; Jews speak of God suffering along with his people. Dur ing the 20th century, the HOLOCAUST raised the issue of theodicy very forcefully. Some found that in the face of such immense evil, they could no longer believe in God. The Nobel Prize-winning novelist Elie Wiesel expressed this position in his moving novel, Night.