O
FELIX CULPA
On
the biblical Christian view, the evil in the world is a consequence of the
fall. Moral evil is rampant because of original sin: we have all inherited a
morally and spiritually corrupt nature form our forefather Adam, and thus we
are inclined by nature toward selfishness and ungodliness. Natural evil is
largely due to the curse placed on the natural world as a result of Adam’s sin.
But
what of the fall itself? So much evil could have been avoided had God not
permitted Adam’s sin, and surely the omniscient Creator knew that Adam would
sin. Why then did God allow it? One powerful answer to the question comes
in the form of the “O-Felix-Culpa” theodicy (literally “blessed fault” or “happy
fault”), which was suggested by the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas and has
been received more recently by Alvin Platinga.
The
reasoning behind the theodicy runs as follows. It is true that, all things being
equal, a world with sin would be worse than a world without sin.
But not all things are equal, because that simplistic comparison fails to take
into account some of the features of this world that would be absent had sin
never entered the world. For this world that would be absent had sin never
entered the world. For this world is not only a world with sin, but also a
world in which God in his great mercy took on human flesh in the person of his
Son, Jesus Christ, and made atoning sacrifice in order to redeem a people for
himself so that they would enjoy eternal blessedness in fellowship with the
triune God.
In
short, our world is not simply a Genesis 1-3 world; it is also an Ephesians 1,
Philippians 2, and Romans 3 world. Consequently, we have the privilege of
knowing God not only as our Creator but also as our Redeemer. Our precious,
because we have been redeemed from our sins and know God not merely as
creatures but as forgiven sinners reconciled to him through Christ. None
of that would be possible had God not permitted the fall. (James N. Anderson, “Whence
This Evil? Toward a Biblical Theodicy,” in Ruined Sinners to Reclaim: Sin
and Depravity in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective,
ed. David Gibson and Jonathan Gibson [The Doctrines of Grace Series; Wheaton,
Ill.: Crossway, 2024], 555)
Here
is the relevant portion of the Summa Theologiae:
Reply Obj. 3. A double
capability may be remarked in human nature:—one, in respect of the order of
natural power, and this is always fulfilled by God, Who apportions to each
according to its natural capability;—the other in respect to the order of the
Divine power, which all creatures implicitly obey; and the capability we speak
of pertains to this. But God does not fulfil all such capabilities, otherwise
God could do only what He has done in creatures, and this is false, as stated
above (I., Q. CV., A. 6). But there is no reason why human nature should not
have been raised to something greater after sin. For God allows evils to happen
in order to bring a greater good therefrom; hence it is written (Rom. 5:20): Where sin abounded, grace did more abound.
Hence, too, in the blessing of the Paschal candle, we say: O happy fault, that merited such and so great a Redeemer! (STh., III q.1 a.3 ad 3)
