Tackling Theodicy The Problem of Evil Philosophy Lesson for High School

Why do good things happen to bad people? If God exists, then why is there human suffering? How can we argue for the existence of God while still maintaining the reality of human suffering? These are questions that get tossed up in a Philosophy of Religion course surrounding what is commonly called “The Problem of Evil.” Get your students to discuss the problem, explore why it is a problem, and brainstorm possible responses to the question. 

Note: This resource is optimized for distance learning. The educational download includes PDF and Google Workspace files. Modify this resource for use on Google Classroom and other classroom management sites.

Included in this Resource Pack:

• 1 Lesson Plan for a Two-Day Lesson on Teaching “The Problem of Evil” (Theodicy)
• One handout to accompany a lecture on “The Problem of Evil”.
• One handout with possible responses to “The Problem of Evil”.
• One BINGO-style handout for a carousel discussion on responding to “The Problem of Evil”.

Suggested Uses:

1. Unit on Arguments For and Against the Existence of God in a Philosophy of Religion Course
2. Humanities Course on Evil
3. World History Course on the History of Ideas
4. Literature Course on Evil
5. Introduction to Philosophy Course (on Theodicy)
6. Student Advisory Course on Human Suffering
7. A Lesson on The Problem of Human Suffering and the Existence of God

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