An Examination of the Problem of Evil in Alvin Plantinga's Philosophy

The project titled: An Examination of the Problem of Evil in Alvin Plantinga’s Philosophy. The existence of God is a longstanding and widely discussed philosophical issue that intertwines with many aspects of human experience. One significant aspect is the reality or experience of evil. This experience presents a substantial challenge to official theological doctrines and monistic philosophies, which assert that the source of all that happens and exists in our world is an omnipotent and perfect Being (God) who is traditionally considered good. This challenge is encapsulated in the existential and intellectual difficulty of believing that a world containing such a vast amount of evil could be created by, and under the sovereign control of, a supremely good, omnipotent, and omniscient Being. His defense successfully addresses the logical problem of evil, showing that it is logically possible for God and evil to coexist. However, His approach faces several criticisms, particularly in its handling of natural evil and the evidential problem of evil, which questions the probability of God's existence given the extent and nature of evil in the world. This paper evaluates the strengths and limitations of Plantinga's arguments, highlighting his contributions to the ongoing philosophical and theological discussions on the nature of evil and divine providence. The research therefore adopted a critical and analytical method in the analysis of the basic concepts. The essay recommends the need for the theodicy’s to focus not on the intellectual arguments, but also address the pastoral and psychological implications of evil.