Abstract
In Evil and the Problem of Jesus, Gary Commins challenges traditional theodicy by suggesting Christodicy as an additional way for understanding the chaos and evil of this world. Rather than asking why God allows evil to exist in the world, he suggests that we might find better answers if we look at the way that Jesus and the Holy Spirit interact with evil. Commins observes that Jesus never actually destroys the demons and the evil that he encounters in the world. Instead, Jesus confronts evil and challenges evil. While the forces of evil try to and ultimately succeed in destroying Jesus’ human body, Jesus never retaliates in that same way. As a result, Commins concludes that Jesus poses a problem for evil. Jesus will not sink to evil’s level and yet Jesus will not relent in challenging evil. Commins suggests that Christians are called to do the same. Specifically, he calls upon Christians to confront injustice and evil in the world. In addition, Commins enhances his case for Christodicy by describing parallels in global religions, particularly Buddhism, Islam, and indigenous African religions. In addition to interreligious support, Commins provides strong scriptural support for every element of his argument. Finally, Commins reminds readers that Dietrich Bonhoeffer suggested that wherever there is suffering in the world, “the devil has his hand in the game” (p. 17). Therefore, by ignoring minor suffering and small evils in our midst, we empower evil and silently condone greater suffering that follows in the world. Commins offers Christians another way of thinking about theodicy and evil, and he encourages Christians to challenge evil again and again, just like Jesus. Jesus presents a problem for evil, and Commins concludes that humanity, too, should be a problem for evil.
To make his argument, Commins first discusses the limitations of traditional theodicy which attempts to reconcile a loving God with world marked by chaos and evil. Commins points out the limitations of the “cause and effect” thinking that dominates historical theodicy, and which is reflected in the story of Job. Job’s friends all believe that tragedy has befallen Job because of some great sin that Job has committed, and they insist that Job repent of his sins. However, Job resists their advice because Job has committed no sin, and he insists that God explain to him the tragedies that come to mark Job’s life. Commins acknowledges that “cause and effect” thinking, and its resulting theodicy, tries to “alleviate anxiety” and “make sense of the senseless,” but ultimately it is unsatisfying (p. 69). Commins looks to other religious traditions that can offer answers and concludes that for Christians, the stories of Jesus offer “our particular way to engage the mystery of evil, and in so doing, not only think as Christians but live with a right dissonance” (p. 54).
When looking at Jesus, Commins observes that Jesus neutralizes evil’s effects, extricates evil from people, and sets captives free, but “Jesus doesn’t or can’t destroy evil” (p. 110). Rather than destroy evil, Jesus attempted to wring the good out of it. Commins notes that Jesus “overwhelms one evil after another as he creates harmony,” through his actions of healing and compassion (p. 119). However, Jesus’ good deed also created controversy, because not everyone was excited about his good deeds. In many ways, Jesus’ approach is consistent with the Sanskrit word/concept of ahima (non-harm) and the later Jewish concept of tikkum olam (repairing the world). Jesus’ approach of doing good to confront evil may not be unique to Christianity, but Jesus offers a very tangible response to evil. Furthermore, if Jesus is the embodiment of God in the world, then looking to Jesus offers a way to understand how God views and confronts evil. Rather than speculate on God’s response to evil, as occurs in traditional theodicy, Christodicy provides a more concrete explanation that is grounded in the life of Jesus.
Under Commins’ Christodicy, chaos and the resulting evil in the world are merely elements of the creation, and Jesus shows us how to confront it. Moreover, Jesus confronts not only the evil that he encountered in the world, but the evil inflicted upon his human body. He provides a reason for his followers to no longer fear death, which consequently empowers them to confront evil and chaos. Commins admits that Christodicy cannot fully explain every “feature and factor about God-and-evil,” but it is a start, and it provides a framework for addressing the complex cocktail of good, evil, creation, and chaos (p. 185). It also suggests that God shares power with the other persons of the Trinity, so that all three can address evil and chaos in their own ways. Ultimately, like Jesus, we are all called to confront evil and chaos daily, and like Jesus, we are called upon to seek to transform it. When we confront the evil and injustice in our world today, we, too, can become a thorn in the side of evil, and we can demonstrate that God has not forgotten about us or turned cold to human suffering. Instead, Christodicy suggests that God has given us an example in Jesus, and God has given us the agency to follow in his footsteps.