theodical

Theodical is an adjective relating to theodicy, the branch of theology and philosophy that aims to defend the goodness, sovereignty, and justice of a deity in light of the existence of evil and suffering. Theodical arguments seek to justify why a benevolent and all-powerful deity would permit evil, or to reconcile divine attributes with observed realities. The term can describe arguments, defenses, theories, or works that address the problem of evil.

Etymology: Theodical derives from the noun theodicy, from Greek theos (god) and dike (justice), with the English suffix -ical forming an adjective.

Usage: In scholarly writing, one might speak of a "theodical defense" or a "theodical explanation." Theodical discussions distinguish among different lines of defense, such as free will defenses, soul-making theodicy, and greater-good theodicies. The term is more common in theological or philosophical literature than in lay discourse, and some writers may prefer related forms such as "theodicean" or simply "theodicy" to refer to the field rather than the adjective.

See also: theodicy; problem of evil; free will defense; greater good defense; soul-making theodicy; philosophy of religion.