Joshua Snell
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Humanities Teacher, Boise Classical Academy
Boise, Idaho, USA
Journal Role: Editorial Board Member
The Problem of Evil and Its Fruit
The enduring philosophical and theological question of evil, deeply embedded in the human experience, has historically been navigated by diverse religious traditions, each elucidating a unique perspective. This essay delves into the Christian and Buddhist approaches to defining the problem of evil and its solutions, emphasizing the shifts in understanding from theological exploration of the nature of suffering and evil for the sake of orthodoxy and orthopraxy into apologetic responses in contemporary contexts. By examining the profound insights of Christian figures such as Augustine and Jonathan Edwards, juxtaposed with the foundational teachings of Buddhism, we see that prior to the modern era humans sought to understand the essence of human existence and the transformative potential of grappling with the existential quandaries of suffering and evil. We show that the conversation extends beyond East/West divides and bears the most fruit when the telos of inquiry is not winning a debate but becoming a better human being. Keywords: Problem of Evil, Augustine, Edwards, Buddhism, Christianity Chicago Citation: Snell, Joshua. “The Problem of Evil and Its Fruit”. The Classical Connection 1, no. 1 (October 31, 2023): 4–13. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10065618.
King as Ring-Giver: Gift Giving and its Influence on the Christianization of the Germanic and Nordic Peoples
This essay examines the cultural significance of gift-giving in Germanic and Nordic societies, particularly focusing on the figure of the king as a "ring giver." It argues that the kingly ideal of generosity and honor-bestowing in these cultures created a fertile ground for the reception of the Gospel, as the narrative of Jesus Christ resonated with the Northern ideals of what a good king should be. This essay aims to show that from the ideals of the king to the celebration of Yule, the Christianization of these peoples was not a wholesale rejection of their cultural ideals but rather a fulfillment and transformation of them.
Bio
Joshua Snell is a teacher in the Humanities Department at Boise Classical Academy. He holds a Master of Divinity, from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has taught Humanities, ESL, and Bible classes in Idaho, Cambodia, and Kentucky. Josh loves learning and helping lead others to a better understanding of Jesus and all of creation.
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