Agathism

Agathism, from the Greek, agatho- (good), is the doctrine that the ultimate end of all things is good, although the intermediate means may be evil. In the conflict between optimism and pessimism, agathism is the reasonable intermediate. The agathist sees the world as essentially good but a place in which bad things can and do happen to good people.

Agathism is offered as an apologetic in theodicy to address the problem of reconciling a benevolent God with the existence of evil in the world. A form of agathism found in Muslim thought and in some Christian groups such as the Seventh-day Adventist Church believes that even the punishment of a soul in hell is not eternal. In theologies which hold human history to be a narrative authored by God agathism forms the basis for the development of Messianism. Agathology is the study of the nature of good.

Note: Also a general term not related to any religious group, simply referring to the belief that all things will turn out well in the end. Compare with optimism.

External links

• Agathism.com

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