theodicy

American  

[thee-od-uh-see] / θiˈɒd ə si /

noun

plural

theodicies

1. a vindication of the divine attributes, particularly holiness and justice, in establishing or allowing the existence of physical and moral evil.

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theodicy British  

/ θɪˈɒdɪsɪ /

noun

1. the branch of theology concerned with defending the attributes of God against objections resulting from physical and moral evil

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Other Word Forms

• theodicean
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of theodicy

1790–1800; theo- + Greek dík(ē) “justice” + -y ³ ( def. ), modeled on French théodicée, a coinage of Leibniz

Explanation

Ever wondered how God could allow ice cream to melt, bubblegum to lose its flavor, and all kinds of even worse things? Well, there's branch of theology called theodicy that defends God's goodness in the face of such evils. The term comes from a book called Theodicee (from the Greek word for God, Theos, plus the Greek word for justice, dike) written by the famous seventeenth-century German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Leibniz. In it he argued that our world was in fact "the best of all possible worlds." He didn't mention ice cream or bubblegum, though.

Example Sentences

While not a detailed discussion of theodicy, or how a good God permits evil to exist, the computer-generated response is one most Christians could understand and accept, even if follow-up questions remain.

From Washington Times • Nov. 22, 2023

The philosopher Immanuel Kant concluded that theodicy should be detested by anyone with the slightest spark of morality.

From Washington Post • Jun. 26, 2022

I think, though, that Miranda is talking more about the omnipresence of change, and our need to interpret that change, than he is about theodicy.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2022

Apocalyptic conspiracy thinking is, above all, a theodicy: it explains evil, and says what will be done about evil.

From The Guardian • Sep. 1, 2020

According to its theodicy all nature is haunted.

From Oriental Religions and Christianity A Course of Lectures Delivered on the Ely Foundation Before the Students of Union Theological Seminary, New York, 1891 by Ellinwood, Frank F.