This reader samples a wide range of modern theological, religious and philosophical discussion on the problem of evil, understood both in terms of the practical or spiritual problem of coping with evil, and the theological problem of explaining its presence in God's world.

Preface; Introduction: Reading the Readings; 1. Evil, Protest and Response; 1.1 Outrage and Rebellion; 1.2 Theodicy and Bad faith; 1.3 Finding God in Evil; 1.4 Protest Atheism and the Cross; 1.5 Suffering and the Death of Christ; 1.6 Survival, Endurance and the Holocaust; 2. The Buddha and Kierkegaard on Suffering: Two Religions Compared; 2.1 The Buddha, Suffering and Enlightenment; 2.2 On Not Explaining; 2.3 On Direct Experience; 2.4 Nirvana; 2.5 Compassion and Sacrifice; 2.6 Self and Suffering; 2.7 Kierkegaard on Truth, Job and Christ; Some Explanatory Notes on Buddhism; 3. The Varieties of Theodicy; 3.1 The Problem Posed; 3.2 Some Solutions Offered; 3.3 The Principle of Plenitude; 3.4 Evil and Non-Being; 3.5 The Free Will Defence; 3.6 The Vale of Soul-Making; 4. The Logic of Theodicy; 4.1 The Best Possible World; 4.2 Maximising Satisfaction; 4.3 Necessary Evil?; 4.4 The Cost-Effectiveness of Evil and the Quantifying of Pain; Further Reading; Topics for Discussion; Acknowledgements; Index of Subjects; Index of Names

These readers bring together modern material from a wide range of Christian theologians on the meaning and status of the doctrine of creation, the problem of evil, and war and peace. The readings are drawn from the works of leading theologians across the denominations. Classroom tested at the University of Durham, these readers are designed for undergraduate course use.