Theodicy revisited: the atonement as penance

Abstract

Starting with Ivan’s famous challenge to Alyosha in The Brothers Karamazov, this article explores the challenge of protest atheism. Moving beyond deistic or philosophical theodicies, the article suggests that Christological approaches to theodicy show the most promise. However, rather than just seeing the cross as God’s identification with suffering, the case is made that the cross is God’s penance for creating a world with so much suffering and pain.