"In the Irenaean Theodicy, the purpose of suffering is soul-making." Explain this view.?

Question

"In the Irenaean Theodicy, the purpose of suffering is soul-making." Explain this view.?

Answer 1

I'm afraid I do not know what Irenaean Theodicy is but I do think Suffering is soul making. To be hungry is to suffer but without it you would not enjoy food as much, Or without enemies you can't appreciate your friends. So through suffering you learn how to act and that moulds your character and makes you who you are. Some of the most interesting people are those who have had hard lives full of suffering while those who get everything without it are boring and soulless because they have not built up any character yet. I hope this helps you :)

Answer 2

This means that if you go through struggles in your past you will be a better person in the long run. So if your going through a hard time just trust God that he will always have a better plan for you in the long run.

God Bless

Answer 3

The soul is already made.  What it may mean, is that the soul will be transcended to a higher level if the suffering is used by the soul for this reason.  Suffering is an energy, the same as any other emotional energy, and can transform anybody into a more compassionate, understanding person towards the souls perfection.  Energy is never lost.

Answer 4

St. Irenaeus came up with his theodicy as a means to explain moral evil in the world. To further explain, he thought that God had allowed some moral evils to enter the world through human free will. This free will of course results with people doing evil to another person, and thus people are exposed to suffering. The soul making theodicy part comes through people learning to deal with that suffering and not becoming bitter towards the evil doer and seek revenge. Thus, through their forgiving the other person, or letting go of whatever the situation was, they have become more righteous. With a lifetime of overcoming evil and suffering, Irenaeus felt that a person's soul had been fully developed and through this they could be accepted into Heaven. Irenaeus also used the theodicy to explain natural evils such as hurricanes, tornadoes, disease, etc as another instrument in making people more righteous, and thus making them ready for eternal life in Heaven because the soul of a normal person is not ready or pure enough for Heaven or eternal life. Irenaeus once famously said "The glory of God is man fully alive" meaning that only once we have persevered and overcome suffering and thus had our soul "made" is the glory of God truly revealed in and to that person, enabling them to be a light for the Kingdom of Heaven.

There are also many problems with his theory such as what if a baby/young person dies who has never suffered evil or has never overcome struggles and temptations. According to Irenaeus' viewpoint, this baby/young person cannot go to Heaven because their soul has not been "made" ready for eternity.