The Augustinian theodicy, like other theodicies, is an argument
reconciling an omnipotent, benevolent God with the presence of evil.
Named after the early Christian theologian and philosopher Augustine of
Hippo (pictured in a 16th-century painting), the argument asserts that
evil exists not in itself but as a corruption of goodness, requiring the
abuse of free will. The 20th-century philosopher John Hick classified
similar theodicies by Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, and others as
Augustinian for their shared beliefs that God is perfect and guiltless,
that he created the world out of nothing, and that evil is a punishment
for original sin. Augustine's argument was criticised by his
contemporary Fortunatus, a Manichaean, who contended that God must be
implicated in evil, and by 18th-century theologian Francesco Antonio
Zaccaria, who said the argument neglected human suffering. Hick regarded
evil as something necessary for moral development, and process
theologians have argued that God is not responsible for evil because he
is not omnipotent. Scientific consensus regarding the beginning of the
world and the development of life runs contrary to some aspects of the
Augustinian theodicy.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustinian_theodicy>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1487:
Lancastrian forces defeated Yorkist supporters at the Battle of
Stoke Field in East Stoke, Nottinghamshire, England, the final battle of
the Wars of the Roses.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stoke_Field>
1815:
Napoleonic Wars: French Marshal Michel Ney earned a strategic
victory against the Anglo-Dutch army in the Battle of Quatre Bras.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Quatre_Bras>
1883:
Over 180 out of 1,100 children died in the Victoria Hall
disaster in Sunderland, England, when they stampeded down the stairs to
collect gifts from the entertainers after the end of a variety show.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Hall_disaster>
1904:
Irish author James Joyce began his relationship with Nora
Barnacle, and subsequently used the date to set the actions for his 1922
novel Ulysses.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Joyce>
1961:
Pioneering Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected from
the Soviet Union at Paris–Le Bourget Airport with the help of French
police and a Parisian socialite friend.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Nureyev>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
abeyance:
1. (law) Expectancy; condition of being undetermined; undetermined
ownership.
2. Suspension; temporary suppression.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/abeyance>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
As we, or mother Dana, weave and unweave our bodies, Stephen
said, from day to day, their molecules shuttled to and fro, so does the
artist weave and unweave his image.
--Ulysses
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ulysses>