The Problem of "Salvation as a Natural Evil"; a Thomistic Solution

Document Type : Original Research

Author
H. Ahmadizade
Department of Philosophy & Religions, Faculty of Literature & Foreign Languages, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran
10.58209/jpt.5.1.1
Abstract
One of the challenges of contemporary theology is natural evil. We will argue that since humans often play no role in the emergence of natural evils, one instance of natural evil is the issue of salvation and the well-being of those individuals who either lived long before the emergence of religions or have been deprived of encountering God's message. Therefore, the question of the possibility or impossibility of the salvation of such individuals can be included among theological discussions, especially in Christian theology, as well as in the realm of the philosophy of religion. This issue is also related to pluralistic and exclusivist approaches in Christian theology. However, based on Thomistic theology, although God manifested His message at a specific time and place in Christ, we will find that God has never deprived humans of encountering His saving message by having a correct understanding of God and His attributes.

Keywords

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