Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God

This monograph presents a distinctive theodicy addressing the problem of horrendous evils through a Christian philosophical framework that prioritizes divine-human intimacy over abstract moral calculus. Adams argues that traditional free will and greater good defenses fail to address evils that seem to render human lives irredeemably negative, such as extreme suffering that appears to defeat any possibility of meaning. She contends that philosophical approaches focusing solely on global goods and moral justification miss the existential dimension of how individuals experience catastrophic harm.

Adams develops the concept of "horrendous evils" as those so destructive they prima facie ruin the positive value of a person's life. Rather than attempting to justify these evils through compensatory goods or free will arguments, she shifts focus to how God might defeat their life-ruining power through intimate identification with human suffering. The work draws heavily on medieval theology, particularly Anselm and Julian of Norwich, to argue that God's goodness manifests not in preventing all suffering but in ensuring each person's life achieves positive meaning despite horrendous participation.

The analysis challenges both skeptical theists who claim human cognitive limitations prevent theodicy and traditional theodicists who offer moral justifications for suffering. Adams proposes that divine goodness operates through solidarity and presence within suffering rather than through orchestration of goods that outweigh evils. She develops a Christocentric approach where the incarnation and crucifixion demonstrate God's willingness to experience horrendous evil, thereby transforming its meaning for sufferers.

Central to Adams' project is reconceptualizing the God-human relationship in personal rather than juridical terms. She argues that intimacy with God can retrospectively transform experiences of horrendous evil into occasions of deepened relationship with the divine. This approach sidesteps debates about whether God permits evil for greater goods by focusing on how God redeems evil through participation and presence.

The work's significance lies in its methodological innovation, combining analytic philosophy with medieval mystical theology to address existential concerns typically excluded from philosophical theodicy. Adams provides a framework for maintaining belief in divine goodness without minimizing the reality of devastating suffering or requiring abstract justifications that ring hollow to those experiencing profound loss.