A contemporary approach to the problem of evil: The case of Marilyn Mccord Adams

Marilyn McCord Adams is one of the names that frequently criticized the thinkers before her with the philosophy she founded but nevertheless strengthened the discourse of the theistic approach. This study aims to examine the Consolation Theory developed by Marilyn McCord Adams for the solution to the problem of evil. Adams's attempt to establish a theological philosophy of religion and her original approach to the problem of evil will contribute both to the discipline of the philosophy of religion and to our own tradition. From this point of view, it will be questioned whether the desire to make a philosophy of religion supported by theological elements can be seen as a new source of motivation for our tradition. In addressing the problem of evil, Marilyn McCord Adams offers an important approach that places central the process of coping with the suffering and difficulties that human beings experience. According to Adams, evil is a problem based on deep human experience, especially pain. According to her, people may despair because of the difficulties and sufferings they face in life, and as a result, the problem of evil becomes even more complex. Adams' perspective emphasizes treating evil in the light of real human experience, rather than merely as a matter of theoretical debate. This perspective is considered an important step in understanding the human dimension of evil and combating evil. Adams' solution to the problem of evil is a three-stage balancing theory. For her, the incarnation of God and the execution of Christ on the cross is a doctrine that has the power to counterbalance the devastating effect of horrifying evils on human life. In the first stage, the joint participation of man and God in evil establishes intimacy and unity between the two beings. Here the tension between human vulnerability and personality value is resolved. In the second stage, the human capacity to create meaning is developed and the positive meaning that the first stage will create is recognized. This will only be possible if God shows his goodness to all individually created people. The third and final stage rearranges one's relationship with the material world and eliminates one's vulnerability to the world.