Evil and Suffering | AQA A-Level Religious Studies (7062)
Evil and Suffering
- 33 questions
- 3 subtopics
- Component 1 Section A: philosophy of religion
- Component 1
The logical and evidential problems of evil, the inconsistent triad, and the responses offered in reply: Hick's soul-making theodicy, the free will defence and Griffin's process theodicy..
It covers the Problem of Evil, hick's Soul-Making and the Free Will Defence and process Theodicy and Evaluating Theodicies.
Sample questions from Evil and Suffering
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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The Problem of Evil
What does the logical problem of evil claim about the relationship between evil and God's existence?
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It argues that the existence of evil is logically incompatible with the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God. -
The Problem of Evil
What does God's omnibenevolence entail regarding evil in the logical problem?
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God wants to prevent evil. -
Hick's Soul-Making and the Free Will Defence
Why does Hick argue that a world without suffering would prevent genuine moral development?
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Such a world would be a hedonistic paradise with no challenges to overcome, making authentic moral growth impossible. -
Hick's Soul-Making and the Free Will Defence
What is the core claim of the free will defence regarding moral evil?
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God permits moral evil because genuine free will is a greater good that necessarily includes the possibility of choosing evil. -
Process Theodicy and Evaluating Theodicies
What is a key strength of Hick's soul-making theodicy?
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It provides a purpose for suffering, making it meaningful rather than gratuitous. -
Process Theodicy and Evaluating Theodicies
What philosophical objection questions whether God could have created beings who freely always choose good?
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Mackie's objection that an omnipotent God could have created beings who were genuinely free yet always freely chose the good, so the free will defence fails to explain moral evil.
The 3 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| The Problem of Evil | Recall questions on natural and moral evil and on what the logical problem of evil claims about God's existence. | 10 |
| Hick's Soul-Making and the Free Will Defence | Recall questions on Hick's soul-making theodicy, the image and likeness of God, epistemic distance and universal salvation, and on the free will defence and its limits in the face of natural evil. | 8 |
| Process Theodicy and Evaluating Theodicies | Recall questions on Griffin's redefinition of omnipotence and God's persuasive power, and on the strengths and weaknesses of Hick's soul-making theodicy, the free will defence and process theodicy. | 15 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Religious Studies Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 3,683 questions with their answers.