Theodicy
/ˌθiːˈɒdɪsi/noun
The attempt to justify the existence of God in the face of evil and suffering.
Did you know?The term was coined by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in 1710, but it draws on Greek roots that literally frame the problem as a courtroom case about God and justice.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
theos
“god”
Ancient Greek
Greek
dikē
“justice, right order, legal judgment”
1710
French/Latinized
théodicée
“Leibniz’s term for the justification of God’s goodness despite evil”
18th Century
English
theodicy
“the philosophical defense of divine justice”
Modern English
English
theodicy
“the attempt to reconcile God’s goodness with the existence of evil”