Evil and the God of Love

World-renowned philosopher of religion JOHN HICK was the author of numerous books which were translated into sixteen languages. He taught in Britain and the United States and lectured in many countries. His Gifford Lectures, An Interpretation of Religion, received the Grawemeyer Award for new religious thinking.

'A masterly book which is bound to become a standard work.' - Ian Ramsey, View Review 'The most exciting work of its kind that I have read for several years.' - John Raymond, Sunday Times 'A major contribution to the discussion of theodicy.' - Times Literary Supplement 'The most satisfying book I have read on the reconciliation of the enormous fact of evil with our Christian belief in the enormous love and power of God.' - T.E. Jessop, Methodist Recorder 'Deep learning, clear thought, and a profoundly Christian mind...a really important book.' - Church Times 'I do not know of any contemporary work which deals with [the problem of evil] either so thoroughly or so profoundly.' - Hugo Meynell, Catholic Herald 'A very important book, admirable for both its courage and its clarity.' E.L. Mascall, Clergy Review 'The most considerable [book] on the problem of evil to appear in English for a generation.' - W.D. Hudson, Theology

• Preface to the 1985 Reissue Preface to the 2010 Reissue Foreword List of Abbreviations PART I: INTRODUCTORY The Problem and its Terms The Two Poles of Thought - Monism and Dualism PART II: THE AUGUSTINIAN TYPE OF THEODICY The Fountainhead: St Augustine - Evil as Privation of Good Stemming from Misused Freedom The Fountainhead: St Augustine - The Principle of Plenitude and the Aesthetic Theme Catholic Thought from Augustine to the Present Day The Problem of Evil in Reformed Thought Eighteenth-Century 'Optimism' Dividing the Light from the Darkness PART III: THE IRENAEAN TYPE OF THEODICY Sin and the Fall According to the Hellenistic Fathers The Irenaean Type of Theodicy in Schleiermacher The Two Theodicies - Contrasts and Agreements PART IV: A THEODICY FOR TODAY The Starting-Point Moral Evil Pain Suffering The Kingdom of God and the Will of God Recent Work on the Problem of Evil Index