THE PROBLEM OF EVIL
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Why does evil exist? How do we explain the existence of evil? The issue of addressing the presence of evil has puzzled the human mind for centuries; it has been a dominant issue in philosophical and theological literature and discussions. Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987), perhaps the most formative apologist for historic Christian orthodoxy in the twentieth century, wrote a compelling award-winning essay in 1923 as a student at Princeton Theological Seminary on the subject entitled "Evil and Theodicy." Van Til's intriguing discussion traces the history of Western thought's inadequacy to deal with the issue and concludes that "God is his own theodicy" in view of his own sovereign authority. Based on the historical revelation of God in the Holy Scriptures, Van Til's position challenges Christians as well as those outside Christianity as to why evil exists. William D. Dennison's introductory essay places Van Til's thesis in the context of more recent discussions.
Cornelius Van Til
Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987) was born in Grootegast, the Netherlands, and immigrated with his family to the United States in 1905. He attended Calvin College and Calvin Seminary before completing his studies at Princeton Theological Seminary and Princeton University with the ThM and PhD degrees. Drawn to the pastorate, Van Til spent one year in the ministry before taking a leave of absence to teach apologetics at Princeton Seminary. When the seminary reorganized, he was persuaded to join the faculty of the newly founded Westminster Theological Seminary. He remained there as professor of apologetics until his retirement in 1972. Van Til wrote more than twenty books, in addition to more than thirty syllabi. Among his best-known titles are The Defense of the Faith, A Christian Theory of Knowledge, and An Introduction to Systematic Theology.
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