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== Christian theology and optimism ==

== Christian theology and optimism ==

[[Christianity|Christian]] theologians commonly declare that the world was the best of all possible worlds, as it was created by [[God]]. Therefore, even what appears to many as bad is actually part of God's perfect plan. For example, adversity improves Christian character.

[[Christianity|Christian]] theologians commonly declare that the world was the best of all possible worlds, as it was created by [[God]]. Therefore, even what appears to many as bad is actually part of God's perfect plan. For example, adversity improves Christian character.

{{Cquote|Best of all possible worlds, in the philosophy of the early modern philosopher [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz] (1646–1716), the thesis that the existing world is the best world that God could have created.

{{Cquote|Best of all possible worlds, in the philosophy of the early modern philosopher [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz] (1646–1716), the thesis that the existing world is the best world that God could have created.

Leibniz’s argument for the doctrine of the best of all possible worlds, now commonly called Leibnizian optimism, is presented in its fullest form in his work Théodicée (1710; Theodicy), which was devoted to defending the justness of God..

Leibniz’s argument for the doctrine of the best of all possible worlds, now commonly called Leibnizian optimism, is presented in its fullest form in his work Théodicée (1710; [[Theodicy]]), which was devoted to defending the justness of God..

In rough outline, the argument proceeds as follows:

In rough outline, the argument proceeds as follows: