Evil is the Absence of Good: Theodicy of Augustine

Theodicy is a theological term. It is often used to reconcile the nature of God and the existence of evil. Augustine was the first theologian and apologist who addressed the problem of theodicy in a systematic way. Augustine did not believe that evil came from God because God is the creator of all things good and beautiful. Evil is the corruption, depravity, deprivation and loss of the good, the result of man's abusing his God-given free will, for which he must assume responsibility. The theodicy of Augustine has had a profound impact on the development of western philosophy and theology. At the same time, problems inherent to Augustine's theodicy have been debated and criticized by subsequent generations.