Fr Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., "Why Would an All-Loving God Allow Evil and Suffering?", 2/8/2023

One of the most important challenges to the Christian faith is the classical theistic problem of evil. It figures centrally in the work of critics of traditional Christianity, such as David Hume, who for example cites a classic formulation of the problem in his Dialogues on Natural Religion:
Is [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? whence then is evil? [Dialogues on Natural Religion X, 63]
Of course, the problem is not of interest only to critics of Christianity. Those who wish to explain the truth of Christianity and to defend Christian claims against critics such as Hume can and should examine and reflect on the problem. This is why St Thomas Aquinas sketches out the problem and a line of response to it in his monumental theological handbook, the Summa Theologica. Perhaps most importantly, every person committed to the claim that a loving, powerful, and omniscient God providentially governs the cosmos must join Job in reflecting on the reality of evil and suffering, and finding a way to make sense of it as part of our experience of living the human life.
The Gonzaga University Faith & Reason Institute presents well-known speaker, author, & former Gonzaga University President Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., back to the Gonzaga campus in Spokane for a talk, “Why Would An All-Loving God Allow Evil and Suffering?” on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. His talk offers words of wisdom concerning the problem of evil for all interested groups: critics, defenders, and believers.

Rev. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J. Ph.D., is a Jesuit priest, teacher, author and lecturer on topics ranging from ethics, philosophy, and the relationship between modern physics and Christian faith. Fr. Spitzer has academic degrees from the Gregorian University and the Weston School (Cambridge), and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America. After teaching at Georgetown University and Seattle University, he served as President of Gonzaga University from 1998 to 2009, at which time he founded the Gonzaga Faith & Reason Institute. Spitzer is currently President of the Magis Center and the Spitzer Center. He has made many television appearances and currently appears weekly on EWTN. Among Fr. Spitzer’s many works are the books, The Soul’s Upward Yearning: Clues to Our Transcendent Nature from Experience and Reason; The Light Shines on in The Darkness: Transforming Suffering through Faith; New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions to Late Twentieth Century Physics and Philosophy; and Evidence for God from Contemporary Science and Philosophy. Fr. Spitzer is skillful at presenting complex philosophical and theological ideas in a clear and accessible way, and his scheduled talk will explore the theological problem of evil and suffering in a fresh and engaging way.

Fr Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., and the Magis Center:
https://www.magiscenter.com

Gonzaga Faith & Reason Institute: https://www.gonzaga.edu/academics/gon...