Problem of Pain (part 1)

Dr. Michael L. Peterson

Professor of Theology and Religion, Asbury Seminary

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Lesson

In philosophy, it’s referred to as the problem of evil. Given a certain understanding of God and a certain understanding of evil, there is a tension explaining why evil exists in the world.

Outline

Problem of Pain (part 1)

I. Introduction

II. Origin and Ground of Religion (Chapter 1)

A. Religion stems from four factors

1. Sense of the numinous

2. Sense of morality / rightness and wrongness

3. Identification of the Numinous power as a guardian of morality

4. Historical event: a man, Jesus of Nazareth, claimed to be God, the son of God, one with God whom humankind had viewed as the Power behind morality

B. Lewis is addressing arguments for theism in general and Christianity in particular

III. Lewis Presents the Argument as Primarily a Logical Problem

A. Logical argument and evidential argument

B. Omnipotence (chapter 2)

1. Equivocal

2. Univocal

3. Important question for believers and non-believers

4. Defining omnipotence