hahaa this is what i wrote in september awww
A) Explain the Theodicy or Irenaeus. (33 marks)
Irenaeus’ Theodicy is fairly simple. Unlike Augustine’s Theodicy, Irenaeus believed that God was partly responsible for the existence of evil. Irenaeus believes that God is responsible because he created humans imperfectly and making it their task to develop into perfection. This idea is based on his interpretation of Genesis 1:26 where God said “let us make man in our image after our likeness”. From this he concluded that at first God made humans in his image and only later would we develop into his likeness. Irenaeus believed that being in Gods image involved having intelligence, morality and personality yet lacking completion. Completion can only be gained if we transform into Gods’ likeness. It was Irenaeus who claimed that evil was an essential means and part of this transformation.
Irenaeus argued that when created the world, his aim was to make humans flawless, in his likeness. Genuine human perfection cannot be ready –made, human perfection must develop through free choice. Therefore since god had to give us free choice he had to give us the potential to disobey him. There would be no such potential if there were never any possibility of evil. If humans were made ready-perfected and if god watched his world continually there would be no free will. With this in mind, the natural order had to be designed with the possibility of causing harm and humans had to be imperfect and God had to stand back from his creation. Humans used the freedom they were given to disobey God, which caused suffering. God cannot compromise out freedom by removing evil, eventually evil and suffering will be overcome and everybody will develop into God’s likeness, living in glory in Heaven. This justifies the evil that exists now, it is just temporary evil.
Irenaeus argued that attaining the likeness of God requires the “willing co-operation of human individuals”. Irenaeus was saying that God could not bestow absolute goodness upon humans but it had to be developed by humans themselves through willing co-operation. Willing co-operation requires genuine freedom, as we cannot willingly cooperate with something if we are being forced into it. Genuine freedom requires the possibility of choosing evil instead of good. God’s plans however required that there is a genuine possibility that the decisions for the actions we may take could result in and produce evil.
Irenaeus explained that humans did actually choose evil, which is why the fall of Adam and Eve occurred. But although evil can make more difficult as it “multiplies the perils we face”. It nevertheless is beneficial as it enables us to understand what good is:
“How if we had no knowledge of the contrary, could we have instruction in that which is good?”
(Irenaeus, Against Heresies IV xxxix.1)
Irenaeus went on to argue that those who say that God should never have allowed evil to happen are in fact saying that God should take away their own humanity. As being human entails having freedom, yet if god were to intervene each time an evil act is committed then there would not be in fact any freedom to commit evil.
“If anyone do shun the knowledge of both kinds of things…he unaware divests himself of the character of a human being.”
Irenaeus, Against Heresies IV xxxix.1
In heaven, everybody would have achieved God’s likeness and the sufferings of Earth will be forgotten. It is important that we note that under Irenaeus’ scheme it is vital that everyone attains this stage, thus marking the completion of god’s creation. ↓
|
|
| Name: Nicolaaa | Date: Jun 3rd, 2007 11:04 AM |
| Name: Irene | Date: Jun 3rd, 2007 2:38 PM |
| Name: Nicolaaa | Date: Jun 3rd, 2007 3:30 PM |
| we were bumping earlier so i randomly copy and pasted an essay into here. i study r.s. at alevel you see. ↑ |
| Name: Irene | Date: Jun 3rd, 2007 3:38 PM |
| im confused cause it looked like irene me lol, just the u was added by accident ↑ |
| Name: Layne | Date: Jun 3rd, 2007 4:34 PM |
| Name: Nicolaaa | Date: Jun 3rd, 2007 5:06 PM |
| sorry irene! no...ireneaus was a greek guy. ↑ |
| Name: atomic snowflake | Date: Jun 3rd, 2007 6:01 PM |
He sounds like a fun guy ;-D
(crap, I don't understand ANY of this)!!!!!! *LMAO* ↑ |
| Name: atomic snowflake | Date: Jun 3rd, 2007 8:23 PM |
| Oh dear, rather you than me! *LOL* ↑ |
| Name: Irene | Date: Jun 3rd, 2007 10:23 PM |
HAHA LMAO,
im thinking, oookay, maybe i wrote this when an alien abucted me or something, cause i sure dont remember writing it lol,
Ireneus...hmmm ive never known a name like that especially for a guy, how bizzare im greek also, good luck 4 Exam, i wish you all the best and you breeze through it! ↑ |
| Name: .RoSey. | Date: Jun 4th, 2007 5:47 AM |
|
|
