The Problem of Evil: Religion's Greatest Challenge
What you'll learn
- Students will explore the problem of evil, and why it is a challenge to the classical theistic religions of the West. We will explore various solutions, particularly those offered by Judaism.
Requirements
- There are no prerequisites.
Description
We will study the problem of evil in the eyes of Western theistic religions, particularly Judaism. If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good, how could God allow a world filled with suffering. We will seek answers both in Jewish tradition and more generally, in Western tradition. After looking a the book of Job, we will explore rabbinic approaches to the problem of evil. Finally in a series of lectures, we will explore whether God is truly all-powerful, whether God is truly all good, why human evil, and why natural evil.
Who this course is for:
- The course will have a particular appeal to Jewish students, but will have insights for anyone interested in religion or philosophy.
Instructor
![Michael Gold](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 64 64"%3E%3C/svg%3E){kind=avatar}
- 4.6 Instructor Rating
- 20 Reviews
- 71 Students
- 3 Courses
Michael Gold is a rabbi, who has been the spiritual leader of a synagogue in Florida for thirty years. He is also a professor of philosophy and religion at Broward and Miami-Dade College. He developed courses for Broward in religion and ethics. Michael Gold received his PhD from Florida Atlantic University with a dissertation of process philosophy and Jewish mysticism. He is the author of seven books, the most recent entitled Three Creation Stories; A Rabbi Encounters the Universe.