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

Abstract

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.