Abstract
Why would an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God allow, fail to prevent, or cause natural or moral evil and the resultant suffering? This question lies at the heart of the problem of evil, implying that God is either loving but does not have the power to stop evil, or God has the power to do so and is not characterized by love. Some thinkers also include omniscience when expressing the problem. Theodicy and antitheodicy are theological responses to evil and suffering, frequently expressed in the technical language of the academy. Pastoral caregivers must translate the language of the academy in practical and empathic ways for the care of others outside of the theological language game. Doing so requires mastering a variety of theodicies and antitheodicies in their training and lifelong learning. This mastery creates an internal frame of reference in addition to a path for providing care. Yet, it would rarely if ever be helpful to recite an academic rendition of a theodicy or antitheodicy during an active crisis intervention. This essay offers a metacognitive theological methodology that can be accessed spontaneously by pastoral caregivers in the midst of a crisis. I claim that this strategy will be helpful to any caregiver, but especially to seminary, divinity school, and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) students during their early formation.
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