The Dialectic of Theodicy: A Hermeneutical Discourse Between Philosophical Logic and Biblical Systematic Theology- The Case of Hagar

This article constructs a theological-dialectic hermeneutical discourse on theodicy, navigating the acute tension between philosophical rationalism and biblical systematic theology within the specific context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi. Utilizing the pandemic as a contemporary "wilderness of fate" (Dozeman, 1998), the study analyzes the traumatic affliction and systemic exploitation of vulnerable women through the hermeneutical lens of Hagar’s narrative (Gen. 16). The discourse contrasts the philosophical quest for logical consistency, specifically addressing the "trilemma" of divine omnipotence, omnibenevolence, and the existence of evil (Frame, 2011), with a systematic theological emphasis on divine solidarity and eschatological hope (Moltmann, 1974). The research employs a "Trialectic of the Wilderness" framework, synthesizing the Philosophical Pole (Ayer, 1936; Flew, 1950; Plantinga, 1974), the Systematic Pole (the Theology of the Cross), and the Sociological Pole (structural violence Galtung, 1969). By integrating the perspectives of African women theologians like Mercy Amba Oduyoye (2001) and Isabel Apawo Phiri (2021), the study explores how faith communities transitioned into "networks of survival." The study concludes that while philosophy seeks to explain the causality of evil, biblical theology offers a redemptive framework through the revelation of El Roi—the "God who sees"—providing a mandate for social justice.

Theodicy, Hagar Narrative, COVID-19

1. Ayer, A. J. (1936). Language, Truth and Logic. London: Victor Gollancz. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Berger, P. L. (1967). The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Dozeman, T. B. (1998). The wilderness and salvation history in the Hagar story. Journal of Biblical Literature, 117(1), 23–43 . [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians [EATWOT]. (1976). Final Statement of the Ecumenical Dialogue of Third World Theologians. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Flew, A. (1950). Theology and Falsification. In New Essays in Philosophical Theology. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Frame, J. M. (2011). The Doctrine of God. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Galtung, J. (1969). Violence, Peace, and Peace Research. Journal of Peace Research, 6(3), 167–191. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Grudem, W. (2020). Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Hick, J. (1957, 1966). Faith and Knowledge. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Moltmann, J. (1967). Theology of Hope: On the Ground and the Implications of a Christian Eschatology. London: SCM Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Moltmann, J. (1974). The Crucified God: The Cross of Christ as the Foundation and Criticism of Christian Theology. New York, NY: Harper & Row. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Oduyoye, M. A. (2001). Introducing African Women's Theology. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Phillips, D. Z. (1965). The Concept of Prayer. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Phillips, D. Z. (1993). Wittgenstein and Religion. London: Macmillan. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Plantinga, A. (1974). God, Freedom, and Evil. New York, NY: Harper & Row. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Steinberg, N. (1993). Kinship and Marriage in Genesis: A Household Economics Perspective. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Stump, E. (2012). Wandering in Darkness: Narrative and the Problem of Suffering. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Trible, P. (1984). Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narrative. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Williams, D. S. (1993). Sisters in the Wilderness: The Challenge of Womanist God-Talk. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Wisdom, J. (1944). Gods. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 45, 185–206. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Wittgenstein, L. (1953). Philosophical Investigations. Oxford: Blackwell. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. World Health Organization [WHO]. (2021). COVID-19 and Violence against Women. Geneva: WHO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Aristotelian Ethics and Moral Development: A Critical Evaluation
• Decolonising Africa’s Higher Education against violence and social injustices.
• The African Child as a Technological Citizen
• Mathematics as Ontological–Cognitive Participation: Reconstructing Ethical and Metaphysical Foundations within a Humanized Mathematical Universe
• Reason–Emotion Integration in the Context of Artificial Intelligence: The Implications of Aristotle’s Conception of Happiness for Youth Moral Education