theodicy · noun — A justification of a deity or of particular attributes of a deity; specifically, a justification of the existence of evil and suffering in the world; a work or discourse justifying the ways of God. It carries an Arena rating of 1724, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, theodicy ranks #348 of 17,163 for Most Sublime Words, #591 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #642 of 17,177 for Most Incisive Words, #3,473 of 17,131 for Most Ponderous Words.
theodicy is pronounced /θiːˈɒd.ɪ.si/.
Why “theodicy” is a great word
An attempt to reconcile the existence of a benevolent, omnipotent deity with the reality of suffering and evil in the world. From French *théodicée*, from Ancient Greek θεός (theós, "god") + δίκη (díkē, "justice"), coined in 1710 by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in his work *Essais de Théodicée*. Unlike "apologetics," which defends religious doctrine broadly, or a mere "defense," which offers possible reasons God might permit evil, a theodicy presumes to assert the actual justifications. It is the theologian's elegant proof penned as the plague cart rattles past his window, the strained algebra that balances a child's agony against infinite love, the desperate cartography trying to map a world of pain onto a blueprint of perfect providence—a testament to the mind's refusal to let either logic or mercy go unanswered.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Borrowed from French théodicée, from Ancient Greek θεός (theós, “god”) + δίκη (díkē, “justice”), coined by German mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in his 1710 work Essais de Théodicée sur la bonté de Dieu, la liberté de l'homme et l'origine du mal (Essays of Theodicy on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil), commonly known as Théodicée.
noun
- A justification of a deity or of particular attributes of a deity; specifically, a justification of the existence of evil and suffering in the world; a work or discourse justifying the ways of God.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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