THE PROBLEM OF EVIL AND JUDAEO-CHRISTIAN DEMONOLOGY 

I. THE PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEM:
                  What is the source of evil, if God is good?
            or: Why does a good God permit evil? 

   Early polytheistic religions:  divine ambiguity (Hinduism)
                                                     multiple gods (Greece & Rome)

    Monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam
              Question becomes "How can a good God permit evil?"

   THEODICY: any systematic attempt to answer this question
            Greek root: theos = god; dix = justice

   DUALISM as solution:
             dual, competing forces for good and evil
             God no longer single or omnipotent (i.e. not all powerful)
             effect: limit Good God's power to protect his goodness
         Zoroastrianism: 
             Persia 6th C. BC; founded by prophet Zarathustra
            AHRIMAN = personified evil, demonic force

II. OLD TESTAMENT [OT]:
    Judaic solutions to problem of evil

Early books of O.T.: Yahweh as ambivalent, does good & evil
         Book of Amos (8th C. BC); II Isaiah (6th C. BC)

Emergence of Satan figure
              Book of Job: Prologue (5th C. BC)
              Satan acts only with divine permission

Demonology:  study of nature and powers of demons
                            important part of medieval theology

III.  NEW TESTAMENT [NT]: Early Christian

IDOLATRY:
     Greek & Roman pagan religion seen as demon worship

 Christianity as protective against demonic influence
       BAPTISM: baptized Christians immune to power of evil
       EXORCISM: NT ritual, drive demons from possessed person
  

IV.  CLASSICAL GREEK PHILOSOPHY

Greek religion:  ambivalent gods -- e.g. Hades/Plouton
    Hades (god of underworld) = same as Plouton (god of wealth)

PLATO (5th C. BC):  Platonic approach to evil
      l. modified dualism: matter vs spirit
       
      2. theory of ideas (idealism): ideas more real than matter

      3. negative solution: ("Swiss cheese theory" of evil)
                  evil as privation or absence of good            

      4. Creator limited by pre-existing chaos (not all powerful)

V.  EARLY CHRISTIAN THEORIES OF EVIL 4-5th C. AD

     MANICHEAN HERESY:
         dualist position, competing forces for good & evil
         condemned as Christian heresy because not monotheistic

    ST. AUGUSTINE (354-430 AD: 
              early Christian bishop and theologian
            Confessions -- autobiographical account of his conversion
            l) Manichean phase (youthful error)
            2) Neo-platonism: adopts view of evil as privation of good
            3) Christian elements:
                God permits evil for his own purposes: to
                        a) punish sin
                        b) test faith
                        c) bring good out of evil

SCHOLASTICISM: Thomas Aquinas, 13th C
                 see course reader, p. 79-80