The problem of divine justice encompasses all of these questions, exploring the apparent contradiction between the existence of an all-powerful, all-loving God and the presence of evil and suffering in the world.

Theodicy is a philosophical or theological argument that attempts to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with the existence of a benevolent and omnipotent God.

The free will defense argues that human freedom is a necessary condition for moral responsibility and that it allows for the possibility of evil actions, which God cannot prevent without violating human autonomy.

Critics of the free will defense argue that it fails to address the problem of innocent suffering, that it implies that God is responsible for evil, and that it assumes that God is limited in power.

Augustine argued that evil is not a positive entity but rather the privation or absence of good. He believed that evil is a consequence of the fall of humanity from a state of perfection.

The soul-making theodicy argues that suffering is a necessary part of human existence because it helps individuals develop virtues, learn from their mistakes, and grow spiritually.

Critics of the soul-making theodicy argue that it fails to address the problem of innocent suffering, implies that God is indifferent to human suffering, and contradicts the idea of a benevolent God who desires the happiness of his creatures.

John Hick argued that the existence of evil is a necessary consequence of the existence of a finite and imperfect world. He believed that God created the world with the potential for both good and evil, and that the presence of evil is a result of the limitations of a finite world.

The process theodicy argues that suffering is an integral part of the evolutionary process and contributes to the overall progress of the universe by providing opportunities for learning, growth, transformation, and the elimination of evil.

Critics of the process theodicy argue that it fails to address the problem of innocent suffering, implies that God is indifferent to human suffering, and contradicts the idea of a benevolent God who desires the happiness of his creatures.

Søren Kierkegaard argued that the existence of evil is a mystery that cannot be fully comprehended by human reason. He believed that faith is the only way to reconcile the existence of evil with the existence of a benevolent and omnipotent God.

Critics of the mystery theodicy argue that it fails to provide a rational explanation for the existence of evil, implies that God is unknowable, and undermines the credibility of religious belief.

J.L. Mackie argued that the problem of divine justice is a pseudo-problem that arises from a misunderstanding of the nature of God. He believed that God is not a moral agent in the same way that humans are and that therefore it is not meaningful to ask whether he is just or unjust.

The divine hiddenness argument states that God actively conceals his existence from us, making it impossible for us to know for certain whether he exists or not.

Critics of the divine hiddenness argument argue that it assumes that God is a personal being who interacts with the world in a detectable way, fails to account for religious experiences, and implies that God is malicious or indifferent to human beings.