Problem of Evil

Marilyn McCord Adams wrote this systematic theological treatise to address one of Christianity's most enduring intellectual challenges: how a perfectly good and omnipotent God can permit the existence of genuine evil, particularly what Adams terms "horrendous evils" — sufferings so devastating they threaten to make a person's life not worth living. Writing as both a rigorous analytical philosopher and a committed Anglican theologian, Adams sought to move beyond abstract theodicies toward a more pastorally sensitive and theologically robust response to the lived reality of profound suffering.

Adams argues that traditional theodicies fail because they attempt to explain evil away rather than acknowledge its genuine horror. She develops instead what she calls a "defeat strategy," contending that God does not prevent horrendous evils but rather defeats them by drawing good out of them in ways that restore ultimate meaning to the sufferer's life. Central to her argument is the claim that God's intimate identification with human suffering through the incarnation and crucifixion provides the theological foundation for believing that no evil, however horrendous, can ultimately overwhelm the good that God intends for each person. Adams insists that this defeat must be personal and particular — God must ensure that each individual who suffers horrendous evil experiences a good that defeats that evil within their own life story.

This work has remained influential because Adams refuses to minimize either divine goodness or the reality of genuine evil, offering instead a christologically grounded hope that takes seriously both philosophical rigor and pastoral concern. Her concept of horrendous evil has shaped subsequent discussions in both philosophy of religion and practical theology, while her emphasis on divine solidarity with sufferers has influenced contemporary approaches to theodicy and pastoral care.

Who should read this: Theologians, philosophers of religion, and thoughtful believers wrestling intellectually with the reality of suffering will find Adams's careful argumentation invaluable, though those seeking simple answers or purely devotional comfort should look elsewhere.