Injustice, Outrage, and the Problem of Atheodicy

My friend—I’ll call him Ben—teaches ethics and philosophy of religion at a local college.  I myself am neither a philosopher nor a theologian, but I am a dabbler, and so I’m happy to indulge Ben when he wants to discuss what he’s working on.  He does his best to bring things down to my level.

Ben was over for dinner a couple of evenings ago.  (I know, I know—but we ate outside and stayed more than six feet apart.)  He arrived carrying a stack of articles and papers.  “What’s all that?” I asked.  “Something you’re writing?”