Justifying the Ways of God in Milton's Paradise Lost Essay

In addition, here, as throughout much the poem, Satan continues to hedge the other side of the argument, insisting that he isn't forced to do evil by opposing God, but that "to do ill our sole delight" (160). This belief that he has a choice in the matter is tied up in the misconception that he was, and continues to be, equal to God, as "reason hath equall'd" (248) them.  Quite to the contrary, Milton makes it clear that "the will And high permission of all-ruling Heaven Left him at large to his own dark designs" (211-3).  And it is only Satan's perverted sense of reason that convinces him that "The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n" (254-5).  He believes that his reason and contemplation will help him discover "How overcome this dire Calamity" (189), or failing that, change his will such that it fits his current circumstance.  This is the classic method of the delusional and disenfranchised, holding out hope for change, but at the same time putting forth the belief that the current situation can actually be beneficial.  The sophistry has shown through Satan's speech, as he declares that there is no way for God to beat him, in his mind, when we know he is already defeated.

The Fall of Man utilizes the social function of a myth. In this story, the social function of the myth tells how society should be organized and who should have control. God said Adam and Eve could not eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge in the middle of the Garden of Eden. The serpent tempted Eve and she ate from the forbidden tree. Adam then committed the same sin. By sinning, their eyes were opened to the world of sin and evil. They now could feel guilt and shame. Through disobedience to God, Adam and Eve gained an awareness of good and evil. An example of this can be seen when they first realize they are naked after they have eaten from the forbidden tree. In Gn. 3:16, Yahweh says, "He (the husband) shall be your master. " This quote in Genesis demonstrates that a man had complete control over his wife in a marriage which was the standard in ancient times. A misconception people saw was that this was not God's divine plan forever. Women being controlled by men was the consequence of sin. Other punishments were Adam had to work for a living and Eve experienced pain in childbirth. This myth could also explain why we wear clothes. This story demonstrates the idea that in inequality between

The fall has two distinct parts: structure and direction. Wolters describes structure as the basic creation of things and direction as whether or not those things are for God or against God. Wolters is not saying that everything is evil because of the fall. He is saying that things that were created are still good in their entirety, but that they have been touched by the distortion of sin (54). The direction that Wolters speaks of does not just apply to humanity, but to cultural things like art, technology, and schools (59). All of these cultural aspects fit the design that God created, but in some way they have missed the grip of working for God and have become distorted by sin. A negative tendency that shows up in our world because of the fall is the idea of Gnosticism (61). This tendency is present in Christian thinking when parts of creation are spoken against, and not the corruption or infection that has inhabited the whole creation. Once Christians see that there is not a secular realm present, but that worldly refers to all of creation as a whole with all of it being open to redemption. So we should get away from thinking about a sacred realm, that is limited to the redemption of human souls. Wolters explains that all of creation cries out for redemption and that it is not impossible for creation to be redeemed (62). There was a time when creation

Humankind was created in the image of God; He gave them like characteristics such as compassion, love, and faithfulness. In Genesis 3 we learn of the Fall of Humanity, which introduces not only sin into the world but also pain. (“Lecture 3”, 2015) After the Fall human nature is then scarred by sin, humans are born sinful by nature. In Genesis 4 Cain brings murder into the world; from here we see humanity relentlessly depart from the wisdom of God. (“Lecture 3”, 2015) Only by accepting Jesus Christ into their hearts, can they atone for their sins and get right with the Lord.

Therefore, during this chapter we have a tendency to see why man is fallen and therefore the starting of God’s set up of redemption is

Albert Wolters, in his article “Fall from Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview,” describes the whole curse of sin in the human existence by the sequence creation-fall-redemption and argues that only God can redeem this currently “worldly” creation corrupted by evil as an external “parasite” in the God´s perfectly-created earth. In the first part, Wolters explains that the original plan of God was to make earth to be very good, but then the original sin corrupted this holy world affecting “creation as a whole.” (53) This was way, sin corrupted human behavior. However, the consequences of fall extend further human behavior because sin also corrupted the non-human things like the arts, science,

Of Things Invisible to Mortal SightThe Holy Bible is in many ways a story of origins. The history recounted both in the Old and New Testaments has at its base the perception of a fallen humanity; beginning with the fall from Eden and the nature of evil, to the means of regaining Gods grace and the discussion of free will, it emphasizes humanitys inability to fully comprehend the nature of God and of the universe. In writing his epic Paradise Lost, John Milton is fully aware of his limitations as a mortal man; however, in an attempt to transcend the finite to the infinite, to describe the indescribable and to understand the unknown, Milton bases his arguments on Biblical theology to show that mankind has fallen from immortality to mortality

This is clearly seen as the story begins with Satan being upset that he has been kicked out of heaven, so he is now on a mission to destroy any and everything. His goal is to deceive Adam and Eve so he waits for the perfect opportunity. This opportunity arises once Eve decides that she wants to split with Adam on that work day. She claims that the two will be able to get much more work done separately. Adam disagrees but doesn’t stop Eve, as she has free will. She goes out into the Garden of Eden on her own, only to be approached by Satan who is now a serpent. He exclaims that she should eat from the tree of knowledge and that such a kind God will not kill her. He flatters her with all the wisdom she’ll have and how she’ll become like God. She is overwhelmed by the temptation and gives in. After doing so, she returns to Adam to explain to him what has happened and he isn’t too

So what must he do to answer this objection? Firstly, one would have to be very arrogant to maintain that he knew what the answer to this question is for everyone. The reader of Milton cannot really say: “This whole business doesn’t do a thing to show God innocent, nobody could ever see God as justified by this book.” This is simply due to the nature of the problem of evil. The fact is,the problem of evil actually assumes something quite interesting about the character or quality of the universe. It must assume that the idea of good and evil makes any sense at all. For if we say that God is not good for allowing evil to continue, we must be appealing to a standard of good that God does not match. Lewis frames this situation well:

Select a novel, play, or epic in which a character experiences such a rift and becomes cut off from “home,” whether that home is the character’s birthplace, family, homeland, or other special place. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the character’s experience with exile is both alienating and enriching, and how this experience illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or one of comparable literary merit. Do not merely summarize the plot. (2010 AP Literature and Composition)

In Milton’s Paradise Lost, surely we have come to ponder upon the makeup of Satan’s attractable character—his rebellious, seductive, almost “bad-ass” attitude—a case of admirable evil. But let us not forget his ambition, his strive to weld the image of God. We have seen many moments throughout where we get Satan’s ground for imitating the image of God: “…In imitation of that Mount whereon / Messiah was declar’d…” (V 764-65). But why does Satan do this? What is it in Satan that causes him to “look up” to God? Is God a tyrant yet a role model to Satan? I propose that Satan’s drive is something more than just an act of pretending; maybe, it is rather a means of trying to grasp what he has been taken away from him. Or, we can say that Satan was more. Perhaps he came to existence not in the mold of angel, but as a divine tool. There must be a reason as to: why Satan was considered God’s “first and favorite angel”? This seems to suggest that Satan is, originally, at some level of divinity; an experiment of God’s that was put to the test (or is a test)—a divine prototype.

In this plan for man's salvation the end shall justify God's means. Therefore justifing the problem of evil and reasons for allowing both sin and death to exist. This ultimate plan of God's Milton presents in Paradise Lost is also a Greater Good Defense. Still, some might not understand why God finds it necessary to put his creations through this process. Milton shows us how this process benefits mankind who has fallen from grace, and also benefits God.

          The carefully placed line breaks in the phrase "Behold, instead / Of us outcast, exiled, his new delight, / Mankind created," (4.105-7) suggest that not only does mankind please God, but the fall of Satan and his followers also pleases Him. Also, it is natural for Satan to turn his eyes to Adam and Eve. Satan believes this to be a devious plot devised by him, but in fact it is what God has in mind, as the fall was necessary in order to have Jesus descend later to offer mankind salvation. Satan's conclusion that evil will be his good (4.110) also is in God's plan, and is not a result of Satan's choosing; it is the only course of action he is presented that suits his personality.

Milton in Paradise Lost illustrates God as the main creator of life. Milton also expresses that God’s real desire is power. God here used his own power of free will to make the decision to create life. From this, the reader can already see the ability of free will being practiced. He mentions that he gave all angels and man the power of free will so they can express their own individuality in

As Book VIII of John Milton’s Paradise Lost begins, the “new-waked” human Adam ponders the nature of the universe and the motion of the stars (ll. 4-38). When Adam has finished his speech, Milton takes the opportunity to describe Eve, who is listening nearby. We find Eve reclining in the Garden, but with grace, not laziness: “she sat retired in sight,/With lowliness majestic from her seat” (41-42). This “lowliness majestic” is the central phrase to understanding Eve’s character—she is both humble and glorious. Everything that beholds her is captivated by her “grace that won who saw to wish her stay” (43). Even in this paradise, every other beautiful creation is drawn to Eve. She walks