Evil and Theosis — Resolving the Paradox

In Orthodox theology, evil is understood as a distortion or corruption of the good that God originally created. Orthodox Christianity teaches that God created everything out of His goodness, and His creation, including humanity, was initially in a state of harmony and perfection (Genesis 1:31). This original state is described as "very good," indicating that God’s creation was without inherent evil or corruption.

Evil is not something created by God. It transcends simplistic explanations of monism (where evil is seen as an illusion or absence of good) and dualism (where good and evil are opposing forces). Instead, evil disrupts the harmony of creation and poses a profound mystery because its existence seems incompatible with a wholly good and omnipotent God.

The Fall of humanity, as described in Genesis, marks the turning point where humans misused their free will, introducing sin and corruption into the world. This event disrupted the harmony of creation and introduced suffering, death, and moral evil. Evil, therefore, is not created by God but is a consequence of the misuse of free will—both by angels who rebelled against God and humans who disobeyed His commands.

Scripture and the writings of Church Fathers acknowledge the paradoxical nature of evil: If God is wholly good and all-powerful, why does evil exist? God endowed humanity with free will, which allows for genuine love and moral choice. However, this freedom also permits the possibility of misuse, leading to sin, suffering, and the corruption of God's good creation. Thus, evil arises not from God's creation but from the misuse of human freedom.

Scriptural Insights:

• Romans 8:20-21: "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." This passage acknowledges the presence of "frustration" or brokenness in creation, implying a departure from its original state of goodness.
• James 1:13-15: "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed." This passage underscores the Orthodox view that evil arises from human misuse of free will rather than being directly caused by God.

Evil manifests in various forms—moral evils such as sin and injustice, natural evils like suffering and disasters, and spiritual evils such as demonic influence. These realities disrupt the intended harmony of creation and challenge the notion of a universe under God's absolute control. The mystery of evil lies in its seeming incongruity with God's attributes of goodness and omnipotence.

Theological Perspective:

The consensus among theologians is that evil is not a created entity but rather a corruption of the good that God originally intended. It is the result of creatures using their free will to rebel against God's perfect will. St. Augustine posited that evil is not a substance but a deprivation of good—a privation of the good that God created. This perspective emphasizes that evil lacks inherent existence and is parasitic upon the good.

Divine Providence:

Moreover, Christian theology asserts that God permits evil within His providential plan, using even the consequences of evil to bring about greater goods. Romans 8:28 encapsulates this belief: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." This suggests that God's overarching plan includes the redemption and transformation of evil's consequences for the fulfillment of His divine purposes.

Redemptive Action:

St. Athanasius of Alexandria underscores God's redemptive action in overcoming the consequences of evil through Christ's incarnation and resurrection: "For all men are the work of God, and though we have fallen away from him on account of our disobedience, yet he has not neglected us nor left us in evil, for even when we were dead in our transgressions, he made us alive in Christ" (On the Incarnation).

Connection to Theosis:

The concept of theosis, or deification, is central to understanding how God resolves the problem of evil within Christian thought. Theosis refers to the process by which human beings, through their cooperation with God's grace, are transformed and united with God, participating in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). This journey of theosis is not merely individual but cosmic, encompassing the renewal and transformation of the entire created order.

Through theosis, Christians believe that God offers a pathway for humanity to transcend the effects of sin and evil. By entering into communion with God and conforming to His will, believers participate in the ongoing work of redemption and restoration. This transformative process does not eradicate the reality of evil but empowers individuals and the Church to overcome its influence through spiritual growth, virtue, and union with Christ.

In Christ, who overcame sin and death through His incarnation, death, and resurrection, Christians find the ultimate resolution to the problem of evil. Christ's victory provides the framework for understanding how God uses even the consequences of evil to bring about His purposes of salvation and reconciliation. Through theosis, believers are invited into a deeper relationship with God, where they experience healing, restoration, and the fulfillment of their ultimate destiny—to be united with God in eternal communion.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, while evil poses profound theological challenges, Christian thought maintains that it is a distortion of the good created by God, permitted within His providential plan, and ultimately overcome through divine redemption and theosis—the transformative journey towards communion with God and the restoration of all things in Christ.

What is Meant by Unseen Spiritual Warfare and Struggle?

Our principle task as a Christian is our engagement in a spiritual struggle against evil. There is no option for compromise with evil. We must be prepared to battle every type of evil. This a battle that is an inner one. It takes place in our soul. Until we root out all sinful tendencies in our own soul we will not be effective in combatting evil external to us, the evil caused by others. We need to have as a motto to “battle with evil in my own soul.”

This battle is an unseen one because it takes place in our soul. Some mistakenly think this kind of effort is only for monks or clergy. Further, that it is not necessary for those living in a secular world to practice traditional guidelines for an Orthodox way of life. Instead of the unseen warfare in the soul, it is assumed we are to engage in external battles politically or otherwise, attacking the evil caused by others. But the reality is, if we were to all defeat the evil in our own soul we would live in a much different world. Archbishop Averky says: 

Only one who has battled with evil in his own soul can successfully wage battle with evil in general and, therefore, the battle with evil must begin in one’s own soul, with unseen warfare.

The standard for this battle is based on Jesus Christ. The reason He came taking on full humanity was to show us the significance of being made in God’s image, and a path to become like Him, united as one. He teaches us: 

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matt 5:48)

We are all to seek such holiness.

This battle is one that is unceasing. It is never finished. Evil is constantly around us with the devil and demons constantly tempting us to follow them instead of God. But Christ has given us the help needed to engage in this battle. He sent us the Holy Spirit which lives in us. This we need to trust and follow. We should be continually praying for this divine help. This combined with our own efforts will lead step by step to a victory over evil. This is the reason all the elements of the Orthodox way of life are essential. These can be found in our booklet, Ten Points for living an Orthodox Christian Life.

We learn from the Church fathers according Archbishop Averky that the following four dispositions that are needed:

Never rely on yourself.

Always have in your heart hope in God.

Work at This unceasingly.

Pray always.

The greatest difficulty we face is our self-asserting pride. Pride causes us to deny any weakness we may have. It works to protect a self-image of being perfect in the eyes of others. We tend to think of ourselves as something special and superior to others. This is the root, origin and cause of the passions that lead us to sin. The Apostle Paul says, 

Do not be wise in your own opinion (Rom 12:16).

Our loving God wants us to win this battle with evil just like Christ has. This is why He allows external afflictions and grief.  These make us aware of our insignificance and awakens us to our prideful condition. He may also enlighten us with His grace. He continually calls us in various ways to awaken us to our nothingness and to follow Him. 

What are we to do? First, we must observe our life experiences and see that we can’t seem to do good without God. Saint Peter of Damascus says, 

“There is nothing greater than to realize your weakness and ignorance, and nothing worse than not to be aware of them.” 

Second, we need pray for His help to see our weaknesses and raise our awareness that we need His help. Third, we should be aware that our salvation may be in jeopardy because of the crafty nature of Satan who can only be defeated with His help. Fourth, once we observe we have sinned, failed to live up to His ideal, we must immediately recognize our weakness and repent.

The key is to observe ourselves carefully, to be watchful, to awaken our conscience, to embrace the vision of Gospel love, realizing how much we need Him to help us in this struggle. We must have the firm belief in God as Almighty who can do anything. That He is Love and always ready to give us help. This is why He gave us His only begotten Son. We can observe in the Scripture how He always helped the most disadvantaged, like the woman who lost a single drachma.

Finally, remember that the battle with evil is within. We cannot rely on our own self-will alone. We must overcome pride and discover and embrace our weaknesses. We must trust in God. We must live a life of repentance.

Reference: The Struggle for Virtue, Chapters 9 & 10, Archbishop Averky

Ten points for living an Orthodox life

Resisting Evil

Jesus seems to present us with conflicting views on how to resist evil. The first view is found in His Sermon on the mount. He says,

You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I tell you not to resist an evil person. 

But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 

If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.

And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 

Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. (Matt 5:38–42)

He is telling us not to harbor any vindictiveness or engage in any form of revenge for evil done against us. This was a significant change from the teaching of the Old Testament when the advice was, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” He wants us to eliminate the evil in our hearts and to respond with love not causing any further spread of evil.

A Christian must practice forgiveness. We must rid ourselves of all negative thoughts harbored against our neighbor. We are to seek an inner peace, one free of any evil thoughts, a peace that leads us to a unity with Christ. To be united with God we cannot harbor any vindictiveness or hatred of any form.

Jesus desires a peace free of evil that is different than what we normally think of as elimination of any conflict. The peace He desires is one that brings us closer to Him. One free of evil. We are to reject any peace that does not do this. Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matt 10:34). This kind of peace is not one that compromises any of His teachings. We cannot accept peace with Satan, atheists, apostates or malicious heretics. We can’t have friendships with thieves, murderers, rapists nor perverts, or anyone who consciously breaks the law of God. We need to understand the difference between the need for forgiveness of sins committed against us and the need to correct evil we see external to us,

From His statements many erroneously conclude that Jesus was telling us to avoid resisting any evil. Today there is a common misunderstanding that a Christian should forgive everything to avoid conflict, but ignore forgiveness of offensive he incurs personally. We tend to passively accept behaviors in society that are clearly sinful in terms of the Gospels. This includes widespread use of hate speech and foul language, violence, tolerance of liberal sexual norms, and discrimination. There is even a tendency to ignore governmental actions and regulations that are intended to suppress evil on our society. Laws are even being proposed to legitimize evil acts under idea of personal freedom. Archbishop Averky says, “such people completely ignore the whole series of places in Scripture where it clearly speaks of the necessity to take decisive measures for suppression of evil.”

Are we to act to stop evil we see in others? Think about the action Jesus took when he found the commercial activity and the moneychangers operating in the sacred Temple grounds. He used a whip to chase them out and overturned their tables. This was pretty violent. This raises the question about how we are supposed to act when we see evil in our world. Archbishop Averky says, “Every type of such evil should be immediately thwarted with the most decisive measures, even including the sacrifice of oneself in an unequal struggle.” But when and how?

If gentle admonitions fail to correct the bad situation what do we do? This is where the role of legitimate authorities comes in. We must be careful in intervening ourselves because we may not have the needed skills and powers of Spirit that Christ has. Scripture also tells us to respect authority. In such cases we need to honor and call on those assigned to keep civil order, our policemen and women, our armed forces and other authorities involved in our system of justice. Paul tells us, Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.(Rom 13:1) Today the authority of those charged with keeping civil order is widely challenged. We shouldn’t be overly influenced by the few bad actors we see in the media. View then as part of God’s plan.

Further, we should not harbor a criminal. It is a matter of loving our neighbor. To protect one who does evil only allows evil to be perpetuated in the future. There must be consequences for actions against God and civil order. We must turn those who commit crime over to the authorities. This protects others. It’s a matter of love.

When we see a person in despair, however, we must take a modified view. If there is a person starving who steals some bread it is time for compassion and help. Remember how David stole the sacred bread from the temple due to hunger (1 Samuel 21)? In this case we do as the Lord says, and give him more than he asks, if he demands your outer garment give him your shirt also.

When our Lord tells us to resist evil think first that His words are being directed toward our personal feelings of vindictiveness and any desire for revenge. He does not forbid the struggle against evil in general. But the best way to eliminate evil is to,eliminate it in ourselves. If everyone were to do this we would have a peaceful loving world.  To engage in a broader exterior struggle requires that we have a pure heart, one free from personal bias or any hostile feeling toward the person. That we are united with Him and able to do His will as directed by the Holy Spirit. We cannot risk acting out of a need for revenge or any kind of personal gain. St John of Kronstadt: Do not confuse man, the image of God with the evil that is in him, but love the man and pity him. Our battle against evil cannot in any way be vindictive. The right to vengeance belongs only to God.  Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” says the Lord (Rom 12:19). Remember that God is the Master and when we are properly prepared He may call on one of us to act. 

Our primary focus must be on our personal efforts to uproot the evil in ourselves. To be capable of participating in this larger general battle against evil we need to have God’s grace working in us. All action must be undertaken only to bring others closer to a union with God. It must be His will to act. Our main effort should be to purify our own soul so we can become like Christ. We must expose the self-asserting pride in us, embrace and Gospel love, guard our heart from all evil thoughts, forgive others for any offenses against us, repent. All this is nurtured by our Orthodox way of life: Daily prayer, fasting, worship, participation in the sacraments, reading Scripture daily, helping others, and spiritual fellowship. 

Reference: The Struggle for Virtue, chapter 8, Archbishop Averky

Ten Points for living an Orthodox Life

  

What is Source of Evil?

In Orthodox teaching we learn that all of Creation is good.  After each step of Creation, God said that everything is "very good." (Gen 1:31)  So what is the source of evil?


Here is how Elder Paisios explained it to a pilgrim.

Evil exists when we make wrong use of the things of God granted to us for our benefit.

It is not bad for someone to have money, but it is bad to be avaricious.  Drugs are not an evil thing, when used to relieve the pain of people who suffer.  They are bad when used for a different purpose.  A knife is a useful utensil, when we use it to cut bread.  However, when it is used to hit someone, it becomes a deadly weapon.  In this case, it is not the knife which is evil, but the inner disposition of the murderer.

Therefore, we must use everything in the right way, the natural way, not abuse them and go against nature.

Since we are weak by nature, when we are inclined to give in to a passion, we should try to avoid anything that makes us feel vulnerable.  We should also be aware that the reason we avoid the causes of our passions is not because they are evil themselves; but rather, because our ill inner disposition does not permit us to use them correctly.

Since we cannot benefit from them, it is better to avoid them, so they do not harm us.  At the same time, we should glorify God for His gifts, and blame ourselves for abusing them and thus provoking the evil.

Is God Trying to Get our Attention with the Floods, Earthquakes, and Heat?

I was recently asked to write something about earthquakes and other natural disasters. What do they mean from a spiritual view point? Are they an indication of God's dissatisfaction with us? Or, are they just random occurrences due to the unguided forces of nature?

My first thought was to avoid this question. I sensed that my own personal views might be at odds with the teachings of the Church. Without thinking very deeply about this, I would fall in the camp of those who say they are just random unfortunate events. This is an easy way to explain them away and say they have no spiritual meaning. My deeper spirit pushed me on to find a better answer based on the teachings of the Church. After all, there are many such lessons in Scripture and everything we do has a spiritual meaning.

The Orthodox view begins with the belief that all happens with the awareness of God. He is all powerful, Creator of all. If he wanted, he could prevent any natural calamity. Secondly, we believe that all God does is out of love for us. So, in understanding a natural disaster we have to realize that God lets them happen out of His Love for us. This Love wants to bring us into union with him with eternal life in Paradise as we were originally created.

Here are a few thoughts from the Wisdom of our Church Fathers:

St. Isaac the Syrian: 

A time of trial is beneficial to everyone: the diligent are tried so that their wealth may increase; the lax, so that they may be preserved from harm; those spiritually asleep, so that they may prepare themselves for watchfulness; those whose who are far from God, so that they approach Him; those who are God’s close associates, so that they may come closer to Him in freedom of speech.

St. Basil the Great says, 

If no one makes an effort to repent over the causes of woeful manifestations: why there is drought, why rain, why thunderbolts, why hail? This is for us, who have unrepentant hearts, and who have not been converted until we are stricken.

St. John Chrysostom speaks also about the need to correct our lives and place our hope in God: 

"Leave to God the time for the end of calamity, and we shall only pray; we ourselves shall live piously; for it is our affair to turn to virtue, while it is God's affair to stop calamities.” 

In another work, this great preacher warns: 

”God is powerful to stop all catastrophes, but until He sees our conversion, He does not put a stop to our woes.”

Elder Paisios when asked, "Why God does allow a calamity to happen?" responded.:

There are all kinds of reasons. Sometimes God will allow something to happen so that something better may come out of it, and other times He wants to educate us. Some people are rewarded and others pay a debt; nothing is wasted. You know, whatever God allows, even when human being perish, it is done out of love for man, because God has a "heart."

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica says,

By thoughts man often disturbs the order of creation.  That is how the first people were destroyed––in a flood––because of their evil thoughts and intentions.  This is true even today; our thoughts are evil, and therefore we do not bear good fruit.  We must change.

Saint Paul says,

"We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5: 3-5)

From the Priest's Prayer for calamities

" O Lord Who alone art rich in mercy, and in the lovingkindness of Thy goodness dost hearken to the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, arranging and directing us all toward our benefit, guiding our life by Thy wise providence, and in every way desiring our salvation; Who by nature art long-suffering and great in mercy; Who dost chastise and healest again; Who dost rebuke gently and with love for man, not to destroy the work of Thy hands, but to bring it to its primal goodness and to its original nobility, which we have destroyed in the feebleness of our understanding and by the counsel of the most accursed one;... Still Thy wrath, O Lord; absolve, O Lord; have mercy, O Lord, and forsake us not utterly because of our iniquities, neither punish Thou others with our wounds. Grant that we may become chaste through the sufferings of others. "

Calamities and natural disasters are a mystery to mankind beyond our full comprehension.  We only know the tribulation and suffering that occur because of them. We must remember that we live in a fallen world that is dominated by sin. The aim of life on this earth is to perfect our souls so that we will be saved, that we will find union with God, and live with Him eternally. What happens in this fallen world, death, sickness, natural disasters and all kinds of trials and tribulations make up the fire that purifies us.

You may also find enlightening the Prophecy of Saint Nilus
Or this article Patient Endurance by Fr. George Morelli

Another post on this Blog on Evil

“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thes 5: 16-18)

Why do we experience tragedy?

Sitting on the Ash Pile

Let’s be honest. Whether you are Orthodox or not, there are times when life really sucks. At such moments, we wonder where God is and why He allows bad things to happen to “good” people. The philosopher Hume once said that the question of evil is the hook upon which all philosophy comes to hang. It seems that when bad things happen to us, we are often too ready to hang our faith on the same hook.

This scripture lesson came up the other day: “We would not have you ignorant, brethren, of the trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed beyond measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life.” (2Corinthians 1.8) “Despaired even of life”- now that must have been a really bad situation. I’ve been in some tough spots, but never any that bad. Why w ould God let such things happen to his chosen disciples? I can understand some sacrifice, some opposition, and a few nights in jail, but to despair of life? Isn’t that a bit much?

For philosophers, the Book of Job has never answered the question of the nature and origin of evil. Job, the righteous, not only suffered the loss of all of his material possessions and bodily health, he lost seven children in one night. In his terrible grief, he sat on an ash heap while his friends tried to comfort him by engaging in a theological debate. Certainly, since God is just and only punishes the wicked, they argue, Job must have committed some sin which resulted in his punishment. Job protested that he is innocent and doesn’t deserve such treatment. At the end of the Book, God makes an appearance and you think that we will finally get the answer to the experience of suffering.

Let me paraphrase the next part. God asks Job that if he had been around when He created the universe, could he have advised God on where to put the stars or how to set the bounds of the sea. Job replies that he could not have advised God. God then concludes that even if he explained evil and suffering to Job, he wouldn’t understand it.

All right, I get it, but it doesn’t satisfy my intellect at all. Then Job says something interesting: “I’ve heard about you, but now I see you with my own eyes. Therefore, lI abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42) As I said before, this is not an answer that satisfies the philosopher, but it satisfies the Christian. It is the Presence that resolves all issues. It also gave meaning to the experience of St. Paul in Asia. “We had the sentence of death in us, so that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raises the dead…” I marvel at this statement and at the faith and understanding it exhibits. Again, this doesn’t explain why bad things happen, but it shows that when the Lord lives in our hearts, there is deeper meaning and purpose to all of life, including the bad times.

You learn this lesson when you stand beside a widow during a funeral reception. People come forward and say some of the worst things you could say in a situation like that. I know that they want to try and console the widow because they love her. I also know that they want the grieving to stop because most of us are uncomfortable in the presence of grief. We just feel that there must be something that we can say that will help. In the presence of profound grief, theological debates will have not resolve the pain. It is the Presence that makes the difference, and so, you stand by the widow and say nothing. You endure the uncomfortable feeling of helplessness, and your continued silent presence does more to comfort than any word that you could say.

We need not hang on the hook of Hume because there is One that hung on a Cross. He is with us even when we despair of life, and gives meaning to the ash pile.


Source: http://allsaintsofamerica.org/blog/?m=200910