Christianity and suffering
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the philosophical challenge posed by the existence of evil and suffering and different Christian perspectives on the origin of evil.
Key learning points
- Evil is often divided into two types: moral evil, caused by human actions, and natural evil, caused by nature.
- The logical problem of evil argues evil makes it impossible for an all-powerful and all-loving God to exist.
- The evidential problem of evil says that the scale of suffering makes it unlikely that such a God exists.
- Augustine’s theodicy explains evil as the result of human free will and the Fall.
- John Hick’s soul-making theodicy says suffering helps people grow in virtues like compassion and courage.
Keywords
Evil - that which is considered extremely immoral, wicked and wrong
Free will - the ability to make choices voluntarily and independently
Soul-making - the belief that God allows suffering so that humans can grow spiritually
Suffering - pain or distress caused by injury, illness or loss
Common misconception
All Christians believe human nature is fallen.
Some Christians, such as Catholics, believe original sin affects human nature, but they also believe we have free will. Other Christians, like Quakers, reject the idea of a fallen nature and believe suffering comes from how people use their freedom.
Teacher tip
Use some case studies to engage students in discussion about issues surrounding evil and suffering.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.A is a deliberate choice to go turn focus away from God.
Q2.What does teleology consider when deciding if an action is right?
Q3.Why might Christians not always agree on what is morally right?
Q4.According to Jesus (as recorded in Matthew), what else matters besides actions?
Q5.Which statement best describes deontology?
Q6.Which philosophical view says that what is good and bad is dependant on the situation?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
that which is considered extremely immoral, wicked and wrong
the ability to make choices voluntarily and independently
pain or distress caused by injury, illness or loss
Q2.Suffering caused by human actions is known as evil.
Q3.What is the evidential problem of evil?
Q4.What does the Bible quote “So God created mankind in his own image” suggest?
Q5.True or false? All Christians believe that human nature is fallen.
Q6.The theologian John said that suffering helps people grow in virtues.
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Christianity and suffering, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Christianity and suffering, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Issues of Good and Evil unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.