The basic morality of theodicy is oft disputed. Classical theodicists defend the pursuit of an intellectual solution to the problem of evil while anti‐theodicists and practical theodicists argue that this distracts efforts from alleviating the pain people suffer. In this article, I draw on psychological studies that show that beliefs about God and evil change how resilient people are in their experience of pain. In light of that research, I suggest that the pursuit of an intellectual solution to the problem of evil is actually a part of the practical response to evil. However, the pursuit of a solution must be undertaken by the person who has suffered evil, not by the theodicist on their behalf. The theodicist must instead take up the role of coach or guide to the process of making sense of evil—this is what I call compassionate theodicy. I finish with an example of a resource that attempts a compassionate theodicy, showing the links between theory and practice.

中文翻译：

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富有同情心的神学：智力神学与实践神学之间的休战

神学的基本道德常常是有争议的。古典神学家捍卫对邪恶问题的智力解决方案的追求，而反神学家和实践神学家认为，这分散了人们减轻痛苦的努力。在本文中，我利用心理学研究表明，关于上帝和邪恶的信念改变了人们在痛苦经历中的承受力。根据这项研究，我建议寻求对邪恶问题的智力解决方案，实际上是对邪恶的实际反应的一部分。但是，寻求解决的办法必须由遭受罪恶的人而不是神学家来代表。反之，神学家必须担当教练的角色，或指导他们理解邪恶，这就是我所说的同情神学。