Part I: Spreading the blame around -- The atheistic answer : abandoning the quest -- Alternative gods : falling back on a convenient worldview -- A demon at work : letting benevolence slip -- Part II: Redefining God -- Limited power and knowledge : accentuating human freedom -- Split personality : reconciling justice with mercy -- A disciplinary procedure : stimulating growth in virtue -- Punishment for sin : blaming the victim -- Part III: Shifting to the human scene -- Suffering as atonement : making the most of a bad thing -- Justice deferred : banking on life beyond the grave -- Mystery : appealing to human ignorance -- Disinterested righteousness : questioning the problem
Summary
What motivates the centuries old human endeavour to impose moral standards of behaviour on the gods? James Crenshaw offers a synthesis of his ideas on the subject of theodicy & the struggle to absolve the deity of responsibility for injustice
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 251-264) and indexes
