Theodicy Beyond the Death of 'God'

True theodicy is partly a theoretical corrective to evangelistic impatience: discounting the distortions arising from over-eager salesmanship. And partly it is a work of poetic intensification, dedicated to faiths necessary struggle against resentment. This book contains a systematic survey of the classic theoretical-corrective theodicy tradition initiated, in the early Seventeenth Century, by Jakob Bhme. Two centuries later, Bhmes lyrical thought is translated into rigorous philosophical terms by Schelling; and is, then, further, set in context by Hegels doctrine of providence at work in world history. The old God of mere evangelistic impatience is, as Hegel sees things, dead. And so theodicy is liberated, to play its proper role: illustrated here with particular reference to the book of Job, the post-Holocaust poetry of Nelly Sachs, and the thought of Simone Weil. A boldly polemical study, this book is a bid to re-ignite debate on the whole topic of theodicy. As such, it will be of great interest to scholars in religious studies, theology and philosophy.