soul-making - faith

• Faith, particularly faith maintained in the face of suffering, plays a crucial role in the development of human souls
• Enduring suffering while maintaining faith is instrumental in shaping and refining moral and spiritual character
• Soul-making through faith amidst suffering is only possible in a world where God's presence is not directly and unmistakably evident
• The existence of an "epistemic distance" from God creates the necessary conditions for the exercise of faith
• Hick's argument is described as an instrumental theodicy because it posits that suffering serves as a means to achieve a greater good, specifically the development of human souls through the exercise of faith
• Suffering is not inherently good but is instrumental in bringing about moral and spiritual growth
• Biblical passages such as Romans 5:3 support the idea that suffering can lead to the development of virtues like perseverance, character, and hope
• The story of Job from the Hebrew Bible illustrates how suffering can test one's faith and lead to a deeper understanding of God's sovereignty and a more profound relationship with Him
• faith is a tool for cultivating christ-like virtues. The tool grows stronger with experiences of suffering leading to greater spiritual maturity. the epistemic distance stimulates our spiritual development allowing for maximal development into the nature of christ