Abstract

Saint Augustine of Hippo did not shy away from the problem of evil, despite the fact that its existence challenged his faith. In his search for God, Augustine confronted and explored the problem and meaning of evil. Augustine's analysis of evil shows that when God is not at the center of an individual's life and the individual's will is not willingly and completely submitted to the will of God that individual is capable of evil. It is when a person is capable of evil acts or of rationalizing evil that evil is possible. Moreover, evil remains evil regardless of whether an individual or a group collectively regards it as such. Augustine developed an understanding of human nature and mankind's capacity for evil that is worth studying and recognizing as wisdom 1500 years after he wrote it. Only by recognizing and understanding the root causes of evil can we hope to combat its existence. It is essential that we abandon secular biases and revisit the works and words of Saint Augustine to reach a thorough understanding of humanity's propensity for evil and for the existence of evil in a good world created by a good God.