Open Theodicy: Can Open Theism Answer the Problem of Evil?

In the summer of 2005, people living in the residential areas surrounding the Gulf of Mexico would have their lives changed forever. Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, resulting in over 1,000 fatalities and displacing millions of others. The category 5 major hurricane is recorded as one of the costliest and deadliest storms in United States history. While many are at a loss for words at such a devastation, one common question is echoed from the mouths of those in disbelief: “Where was God?” “Why did this happen?” “Why didn’t he prevent this from happening?” It seems common for humanity to question the nature, or even existence, of God when evil events like this one occur. The method of explaining God’s moral justification about the concerns of evil in this world are considered theodicies. Many have formulated their own opinions on the matter and, in some cases, they vary quite extensively from one to the other. In recent decades, a form of theology which has risen in popularity is open theism. While there are many complexities to this theology, one of its aspects, which advocates find appealing, is its handling of the problem of evil. Is this new view the answer for explaining the evil in the world? In my research, I attempt to identify the open theist theodicy, and determine whether it is an adequate construction which competently handles the problem of evil, or if it is marked by inconsistencies and crumbles beneath the foundational aspects upon which it’s built