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“Go to heaven for the climate and hell for the company” is a famous quote by Benjamin Franklin Wade. Theology is the study of God and religious beliefs, and it plays an essential role in many religions and belief systems worldwide. According to McGrath (2022), theology seeks to understand the nature of God, the relationship between humans and the divine, and the meaning and purpose of life. It is a vast and complex field of study that has evolved, influenced by various historical, cultural, and philosophical contexts. McGrath (2022) also stated that the study of theology involves examining religious texts, traditions, beliefs, and philosophical and ethical considerations. It explores questions about the existence of God, the nature of God, and the problem of evil, among many others. Therefore, theology also seeks to understand the relationship between faith and reason and how religious beliefs interact with other aspects of human life, such as politics, society, and culture.
One of the primary goals of theology is to deepen our understanding of the divine and to explore the meaning and purpose of life. According to Meilaender (2020), theology provides a framework for individuals to reflect on their beliefs and explore their relationship with the divine. Theology also offers a way to engage in dialogue and foster greater understanding and respect for religious and philosophical perspectives. Meilaender (2020) also stated that theology has significantly developed various religions and belief systems throughout history. It has influenced the interpretation and understanding of religious texts, the development of religious practices and traditions, and the relationship between religion and society. Theology has also been instrumental in shaping the moral and ethical frameworks that underpin many societies and cultures. While theology is often associated with religion, it also has relevance beyond religious contexts. It can offer insights into the human condition, exploring questions about meaning, purpose, and morality. The study of theology can help individuals understand and engage with diverse perspectives, develop critical thinking skills, and cultivate empathy and compassion toward others (Meilaender, 2020). The study of Theology is essential since it enables us to define Theodicy, which is the study of how to reconcile the existence of a benevolent and all-powerful God with the existence of evil and suffering in the world, It enables us to know the examples of evils that happened in the world such as the Holocaust and the Rwanda Genocide, and also enables us to know that the reason why Theodicy is more central to monotheistic religions which is that these religions place a greater emphasis on the problem of evil.
Theodicy is a technical term in theology that refers to the study of reconciling the existence of a benevolent and all-powerful God with the existence of evil and suffering in the world. According to Sollereder (2018), theodicy is a complex and challenging topic that has been debated and discussed for centuries and has been addressed by theologians, philosophers, and scholars from various religious and philosophical perspectives. Sollereder (2018) also stated that the problem of evil is perhaps one of the most significant challenges to religious faith. If God is all-powerful and benevolent, then why does evil exist in the world? (Sollereder. 2018). Theodicy involves several different approaches and perspectives, each seeking to address the problem of evil. One approach is to argue that evil results from human free will. According to this view, God has created humans with free will, and the existence of evil is a result of humans using their free will to choose to do evil (Sollereder. 2018). Thus, Theodicy seeks to answer this question and reconcile the existence of evil with the existence of a loving and all-powerful God.
One example of evil that happened in the world is the Holocaust. Holocaust was a systematic persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime during World War II. According to Arad (2020), the Holocaust began in 1933, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany. The Nazis implemented anti-Semitic policies to isolate and marginalize Jews in German society. These policies included enacting laws restricting Jewish employment, education, and travel, as well as confiscating Jewish property. Arad (2020) also stated that in 1939, the Nazis invaded Poland and began a campaign of mass murder that would ultimately lead to the extermination of six million Jews, as well as millions of other individuals deemed “undesirable” by the Nazi regime, including Roma, homosexuals, and people with disabilities. The Holocaust was carried out through concentration camps and death camps, where Jews and other targeted groups were forcibly transported and subjected to horrific conditions, including forced labour, starvation, and medical experiments. The most infamous of these camps was Auschwitz-Birkenau, which was responsible for the murder of over one million people Arad (2020). Thus, the Holocaust represents an extraordinary evil in the world because of the sheer scale of the atrocities committed, as well as the systematic and methodical nature of the genocide.
Another example of extraordinary evil is the Rwandan genocide of 1994. The genocide resulted from the long-standing tensions between the two ethnic groups in Rwanda, the Hutus and Tutsis. According to Meierhenrich (2020), the Hutus, who made up the majority of the population, were incited by extremist leaders to carry out the genocide against the Tutsis, who were considered enemies. The genocide started on April 6, 1994, when the Rwandan president, Juvenal Habyarimana, was assassinated in a plane crash. Meierhenrich (2020) also stated that the Hutu extremists immediately blamed the Tutsis for the president’s death and used this as a pretext to launch their campaign of violence. Within hours, the Hutu militias began attacking Tutsi civilians and moderate Hutus who opposed the genocide. Over the next 100 days, an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in one of the most brutal and systematic genocide in modern history (Meierhenrich, 2020). The killings were carried out by militias armed with machetes, knives, and other crude weapons. The Hutu leaders also used propaganda to incite violence against the Tutsis, portraying them as subhuman and deserving of extermination. Thus, The Rwandan genocide represents an extraordinary evil in the world due to the scale of the atrocities committed and the speed and efficiency with which they were carried out.
Theodicy is more central to monotheistic religions because these religions place a greater emphasis on the problem of evil. According to (Sollereder. 2018), why does evil exist in the world if God is all-powerful and benevolent? This question is central to the monotheistic worldview, and Theodicy seeks to provide an answer to this question. Theodicy is more central to monotheistic religions because these religions tend to place a greater emphasis on moral responsibility. If there is a single all-powerful God who is responsible for the creation and sustenance of the world, then humans have a greater responsibility to act in accordance with God’s will; This means that the problem of evil is not simply an abstract philosophical issue, but a real-world problem that has moral implications (Sollereder. 2018). Thus, Theodicy is said to be more central to monotheistic religions than to other forms of religion because of their emphasis on the problem of evil and moral responsibility.
In conclusion, theology is a complex and multifaceted field of study that seeks to understand the nature of God, the relationship between God and humans, and the meaning and purpose of human existence. Theology has played an essential role in shaping the beliefs and practices of religious traditions worldwide and has contributed to our understanding of morality, ethics, and spirituality. At its core, theology seeks to answer some of the most fundamental questions of human existence, such as the problem of evil, the nature of the divine, and the purpose of life. While different religious traditions may approach these questions in different ways, the study of theology allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the beliefs and practices of these traditions, as well as how they intersect with other areas of human inquiry, such as philosophy, ethics, and science. As we grapple with the mysteries of the divine and the complexities of human existence, theology will remain an important field of study, contributing to our understanding of the world and our place within it.
André, C. (2018). Phrenology and the Rwandan genocide. Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria, 76, 277-282.
Arad, Y. (2020). The Holocaust in the Soviet Union. U of Nebraska Press.
Davies, D. J. (2020). Anthropology and theology. Routledge.
McGrath, A. E. (2022). Historical theology: An introduction to the history of Christian thought. John Wiley & Sons.
McGrath, A. E. (Ed.). (2018). Theology: The basic readings. John Wiley & Sons.
Meierhenrich, J. (2020). How many victims were there in the Rwandan genocide? A statistical debate. Journal of Genocide Research, 22(1), 72-82. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2019.1709611
Meilaender’s, G. C. (2020). Friendship: A study in theological ethics.
Sollereder, B. N. (2018). God, evolution, and animal suffering: Theodicy without a fall. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429466519