Justification of the Theistic Argument ‘from Evil’ in the Neo-Thomistic Theodicy of the Catholic Theologian P. A. MacDonald, Jr.

Authors

  • Grishaev Dmitriy S.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31802/PWG.2025.13.1.005

Keywords:

theistic argument, evil, neo-Thomism, theodicy, P. A. MacDonald Jr, ontology of evil

Abstract

This article presents a detailed analysis of the theistic argument ‘from evil’ in the Neo-Thomistic theodicy of the contemporary Catholic theologian P. A. MacDonald Jr.  He explores various approaches to understanding evil and morality, referring to the work of philosophers such as F. C. Copleston, J. L. McKee, R. Swinburne, among others.  MacDonald criticises five popular naturalistic approaches to explaining evil, arguing that only a religious worldview can provide the necessary framework for understanding value and morality in the world. He ultimately concludes that a theistic worldview provides a more convincing explanation of the ontology of evil than naturalistic approaches.

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Author Biography

Grishaev Dmitriy S.

Master of Theology

First-year postgraduate student of Moscow Theological Academy

Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, Sergiev Posad, 141312, Russia

References

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Published

2025-11-19

How to Cite

Grishaev Д. С. . (2025). Justification of the Theistic Argument ‘from Evil’ in the Neo-Thomistic Theodicy of the Catholic Theologian P. A. MacDonald, Jr. Theological Questions, 1(13), 83–96. https://doi.org/10.31802/PWG.2025.13.1.005

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Section

Philosophy

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