Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 66:2 (Jun 2023)
Article: "O Felix Culpa … Christus Resurréxit": Resurrection and Plantinga’s Infinite Goods
Author: Jacob H. haywood

JETS 66:2 (June 2023) p. 315

O Felix Culpa … Christus Resurréxit:
Resurrection and Plantinga’s
Infinite Goods

Jacob H. haywood*

^* Jacob H. Haywood is pastor of First Baptist Church, 106 North Broadway, Portland, TN 37148, and a PhD student in Christian Apologetics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2825 Lexington Rd., Louisville, KY 40280. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Abstract: The resurrection must be elevated in Plantinga’s O Felix Culpa theodicy as the climactic conclusion of the infinite goods of the incarnation and atonement of Jesus. The application of such an addition would reveal that the hope of the resurrection alleviates sufferings in this life as it looks toward a certain eternity of no suffering. This hope relieves horrors of this life by recognizing that any sufferings are light and momentary compared with the eternity that Jesus’s incarnation, atonement, and resurrection have provided. This world contains evil and suffering. Horrors abound. But they do not last forever. The resurrection of Jesus is the proof. There is felix culpa only because Christus resurréxit.

Alvin Plantinga’s contribution to philosophy of religion and the problem of evil (POE) is noteworthy.1 Though his Free Will Defense (FWD) is a prominent contribution to the POE debate, his O Felix Culpa theodicy deserves at least as much thoughtful evaluation. In the theodicy, Plantinga argues that the incarnation and atonement are infinite goods and that any world without incarnation and atonement would be less good.2 Part of the reality of a world with incarnation and atonement includes the existence of evil. Plantinga acknowledges this reality of evil and suffering and argues,

This suffering is a necessary condition of the goodness of the world in question. In suffering, then, we creatures can be like Christ. We get to take part and participate in his redemptive activity. So, for a highly eligible world to be actualized, more is needed than just the suffering of Christ. All of these worlds contain atonement; so they all contain divine suffering; but they also all contain creaturely suffering.3

JETS 66:2 (June 2023) p. 316

Far less has been written on Plantinga’s O Felix Culpa theodicy than has been written on his FWD.4 The majority of the critique is “friendly fire” because while Plantinga’s FWD garnered much attention from atheists, his theodicy has remained virtually untouched by them. The primary rea...