Jacob Brunton

In this paper, I will present and argue for what I take to be the theodicy of Jonathan Edwards, which is rooted in the Edwardsian doctrine which I am calling Divine Egoism. I will begin by utilizing one of Edwards’ works to define and motivate the doctrine of Divine Egoism before exploring how it provides a unique framework for a comprehensive theodicy. By “comprehensive,” I mean that this theodicy intends to do the following: (i) satisfy the standard outweighing conditions, both for “cosmic goods” as well as the “person-constrained goods” introduced by Eleonore Stump and Marilyn McCord Adams; and (ii) address all of the various “types” of evil, including the particularly difficult cases of animal and infant suffering. One of the unique features of this theodicy is that it bypasses the common reliance on libertarian free will. Throughout, I will interact with major thinkers on the subject of the problem of evil––including Alvin Plantinga, Nicholas Wolterstorff, Eleonore Stump, and Marilyn McCord Adams––to demonstrate how this Edwardsian theodicy might utilize and even supplement work being done in the contemporary literature.