Year 8 - Religious education
Inconsistent triad
Suffering: Can Christian theology overcome the problem of evil?
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Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will examine the question of evil. They will look at various ways in which Christians have answered this question such as the existence of the devil, free will and the story of Job.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain the problem of evil with reference to the inconsistent triad.
Key Notes
- There are two types of evil that exist in the world; moral evil and natural evil.
- Moral evil and natural evil raise questions about God's nature and existence; this is known as 'the problem of evil'.
- The inconsistent triad suggests that God does not possess the qualities of the God of classical theism.
- The inconsistent triad is used as an argument against God's nature and characteristics and/or God's existence.
Vocabulary To Learn
- evil: the opposite of good and a cause of suffering
- inconsistent triad: a representation of evil as being inconsistent with the nature of the God of classical theism
- omnibenevolent: the belief that God is all loving and infinitely good
- omnipotent: the belief that God is all powerful
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The problem of evil only causes people to doubt God's existence.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
There are two types of evil that exist in the world; moral evil and natural evil. Moral evil and natural evil raise questions about God's nature and existence; this is known as 'the problem of evil'.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'evil'
the opposite of good and a cause of suffering.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: The problem of evil only causes people to doubt God's existence. Correction: The problem of evil also causes some people to doubt God's nature, rather than God's existence. The inconsistent triad challenges the belief that God is omnibenevolent and omnipotent.
More Lessons In This Unit
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