The theological attempt to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with belief in an all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly good God. Theodicy addresses the problem of why a benevolent deity permits suffering.
Coined by philosopher Gottfried Leibniz in 1710 from Greek 'theos' (God) + 'dike' (justice). Leibniz created the term for his work defending God's goodness despite worldly evil.
Theodicy wrestles with religion's most uncomfortable question: if God is good and powerful, why do bad things happen to good people? From Job's suffering to modern tragedies, this 'problem of evil' has generated more theological creativity and crisis than any other issue.
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