Why Does God Allow Evil in the World?

Jewish thought on why God allows evil — what philosophers call theodicy — is remarkably pluralistic. There's no single authoritative answer, and the tradition actually prizes the wrestling itself. The Talmudic rabbis, medieval philosophers like Maimonides (1138–1204), and modern thinkers like Eliezer Berkovits (1908–1992) all offer competing frameworks.

One strand ties evil directly to human moral failure. The Torah is blunt: "every plan devised by the human mind was nothing but evil all the time" Genesis 6:5. Human wickedness, in this reading, is the proximate cause of much suffering — God isn't the author of evil so much as the witness to humanity's own corruption Genesis 6:5.

A second strand, visible in the prophetic literature, frames suffering as covenantal consequence. Daniel 9:14 states plainly that God "watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us" precisely because Israel disobeyed — and crucially, this is presented as evidence of God's righteousness, not cruelty Daniel 9:14. Joshua similarly warns that divine blessing and divine punishment are two sides of the same covenantal coin Joshua 23:15.

A third strand — perhaps the most theologically daring — insists God can weave even intended evil into a larger providential good. Proverbs 16:4 states that God "made everything for a purpose, even the wicked for an evil day" Proverbs 16:4, suggesting evil has a place within a divinely ordered cosmos even if humans can't perceive it. Post-Holocaust Jewish theology, particularly in the work of Berkovits and Emil Fackenheim, has pushed back hard on easy providential answers, arguing that the silence of God during catastrophe demands new categories entirely.

Christian theodicy is one of the most extensively debated topics in Western philosophy and theology. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 CE) introduced the influential privatio boni argument — evil isn't a created thing but an absence of good, meaning God didn't "make" evil so much as permit the conditions where goodness could be freely chosen or rejected. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) built on this, arguing that a world with free creatures capable of moral evil is, paradoxically, a greater good than a world of morally inert automatons.

Scripture anchors much of this in the Joseph narrative. Genesis 50:20 is perhaps the most cited verse in Christian theodicy: Joseph tells his brothers who sold him into slavery, "ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" Genesis 50:20. This verse encapsulates the Christian conviction that God's providential sovereignty can redirect human evil toward redemptive ends without God being the moral cause of that evil.

The New Testament extends this logic to the cross itself — the execution of Jesus is framed as the supreme instance of human evil transformed into divine salvation. Contemporary philosopher Alvin Plantinga's "Free Will Defense" (1974) remains the most technically rigorous modern articulation: God cannot both create genuinely free beings and guarantee they never choose evil. C.S. Lewis argued similarly in The Problem of Pain (1940) that suffering serves a "soul-making" function, shaping moral character in ways comfort cannot.

It's worth noting that not all Christians find these answers fully satisfying. Protest theology, represented by scholars like Jürgen Moltmann, insists that God suffers alongside creation rather than engineering evil from a distance — a significant internal disagreement.

Islamic theology approaches the problem of evil through the concept of qadar (divine decree) and the related discipline of ʿilm al-kalām (speculative theology). The Muʿtazilite school (8th–10th centuries CE) argued that God, being perfectly just, cannot will evil — evil must therefore originate in human free will. The Ashʿarite school, which became dominant after al-Ashʿarī (874–936 CE), countered that God's will encompasses all things, including evil, but that divine wisdom transcends human comprehension.

The Quran itself acknowledges that God created a world containing evil. Surah Al-Falaq (113:2) opens a prayer for refuge "from the evil of that which He created" Quran 113:2, a verse that's theologically striking — it doesn't deny that created things can be sources of evil, but directs the believer to seek God as the refuge from that very evil. This creates a nuanced picture: God is sovereign over a world that contains evil, and the proper response is trust and supplication rather than despair.

The Quran also frames certain evils as consequences of human moral failure, particularly the evil of unbelief and ingratitude Quran 2:90. Classical scholars like Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (1292–1350 CE) wrote extensively that apparent evils often contain hidden wisdoms (hikma) — tests that build patience (sabr), expiations that purify sin, or catalysts that redirect communities toward God. The concept of ibtilāʾ (divine trial) is central: suffering is frequently understood as a test of faith rather than evidence of divine indifference.

It's fair to note that Islamic theodicy, like its Jewish and Christian counterparts, doesn't fully resolve the emotional weight of the question — it reframes it within a framework of submission and trust in divine wisdom that ultimately exceeds human grasp.

The Hebrew Bible directly acknowledges pervasive human wickedness, locating much evil in the plans and desires of people themselves Genesis 6:5. It also affirms that God can have purposes even amid wickedness and calamity, tying outcomes to divine justice and covenantal accountability Joshua 23:15. Within wisdom literature, purpose is ascribed even to the reality of the wicked and the "evil day," suggesting that what’s permitted is not purposeless in God’s economy Proverbs 16:4. Importantly, texts can depict God as bringing calamity as a just response, while still asserting God’s righteousness in all His works Daniel 9:14. At the same time, the Joseph narrative shows that what others plan for evil, God can turn toward good that preserves life, hinting at providence that can overrule malice Genesis 50:20.

Christian Scripture (including the Old Testament) likewise portrays evil as deeply rooted in the human heart, not merely external circumstance Genesis 6:5. It affirms God’s righteousness even when judgment falls, presenting calamity as a consequence aligned with divine justice, not injustice Daniel 9:14. Yet it also emphasizes God’s providence: even when humans intend evil, God can intend and bring about saving good through the very same events Genesis 50:20. These themes together suggest that God allows evil without endorsing it, while remaining able to transform it within a larger redemptive purpose Genesis 50:20.

The Qur’an teaches believers to seek refuge in God from the evil found within creation, acknowledging evil’s presence while directing reliance toward God’s protection Quran 113:2. It also warns that choosing disbelief and rejecting revelation is an evil transaction that incurs compounded anger and a shameful doom, portraying moral evil as a culpable human stance with grave consequences Quran 2:90. Together, these verses show evil as a reality within creation, human responsibility in amplifying it, and God as the ultimate refuge and judge over its outcomes Quran 113:2.