Strengthening Alvin Plantinga’s Felix Culpa Theodicy Through the Addition of Eschatological Hope

Abstract

Alvin Plantinga’s O Felix Culpa theodicy posits that worlds with incarnation and atonement are of maximal value, inherently containing evil as a necessary condition. While Plantinga’s Free Will Defense has garnered extensive analysis, his theodicy remains underexplored. This dissertation presents O Felix Culpa as cogent and biblical, yet requiring enhancement to be persuasive and pastorally helpful. The core of Plantinga’s argument is that incarnation and atonement are infinite goods, but their infinite nature is not their sole good-making property. The eternal state of these goods amplifies their value, culminating in an ultimate infinite good: the redeemed in heaven fully comprehending God’s love for eternity, evidenced by Christ’s visible incarnation and atonement (Rev 5:5–6). By integrating inaugurated eschatology, this work frames suffering within a kingdom both “already” present and “not yet” complete, addressing critiques from scholars like Marilyn McCord Adams and Kevin Diller. Eschatological hope answers objections by alleviating individual suffering through the assurance of temporary pain and eternal restoration (2 Cor 4:17–18). This synthesis transforms O Felix Culpa into a dynamic, biblically grounded response to the Problem of Evil, offering immediate comfort and future hope resonant with the lived experience of faith in Jesus.