Journal of Islamic and Occidental Studies (JIOS)
Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026): Journal of Islamic and Occidental Studies

The Problem of Evil: A Study of Alvin Plantinga’s Free Will Defense

Nur Hadi Ihsan (Universitas Darussalam (UNIDA) Gontor, Indonesia)
Muhammad Kholid Muslih (Universitas Darussalam (UNIDA) Gontor, Indonesia)
Zalfaa' 'Afaaf Zhoofiroh (Universitas Darussalam (UNIDA) Gontor, Indonesia)
Alfiyya Zahra Asso (Unknown)
Najib Abdussalam (Karabuk University, Turkiye)



Article Info

Publish Date
29 Jun 2026

Abstract

This article examines the problem of evil by critically analyzing Alvin Plantinga's Free Will Defense (FWD) and its dialogue with Islamic theology. Employing conceptual analysis and comparative theology, the study investigates Plantinga's notions of libertarian freedom, transworld depravity, and the distinction between moral and natural evil. It compares them with the Ashʿarite doctrine of kasb, Māturīdī conceptions of human agency, al-Ghazālī's understanding of divine wisdom, and Ibn Taymiyyah's teleological perspective. The study finds that Plantinga's Free Will Defense successfully neutralizes the logical problem of evil by demonstrating the logical compatibility between God and evil. However, it does not adequately address the evidential problem of evil and struggles to explain natural evil. Islamic theological perspectives broaden the discussion by emphasizing divine wisdom, moral responsibility, and metaphysical purpose. The study concludes that the problem of evil is not merely a question of logical consistency but also one of meaning and intelligibility, thereby opening a constructive dialogue between analytic philosophy of religion and Islamic kalām.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

jios

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Social Sciences Other

Description

Journal of Islamic and Occidental Studies (JIOS) is published by Centre for Islamic and Occidental Studies, University of Darussalam Gontor twice a year in June and December on the development of Islamic and Occidental Studies. Editors accept scientific articles (especially qualitative study) in ...