God and Evil: Two Biblical Approaches

Facilitated by George Matejka

The Old Testament [or, Hebrew Scriptures] preserve(s) narratives [or, stories] that speak about the ways God has acted.  Some of these stories depict a God who responds to evil with violence.  Recall the stories of the flood and of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Yet other stories describe a God who eschews violence in dealing with evil.  In the story of Adam and Eve as well as that of Cain and Abel, God deals with evil by way of (nonviolent) expulsion of the evildoers.
These two traditions carry over into the Gospel narratives about Jesus.  Understanding the manner of Jesus’ response to evil can provide us with important insights into our own efforts to be faithful disciples of Jesus as we face the challenges of evil in our own lives.

$15 / session or $35 for all three sessions.

George Matejka, Ph.D. is a recently retired Professor and Chair of the Philosophy Department at Ursuline College.  He holds a Master’s in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America and the Ph.D. in Philosophy from Duquesne University.  He also holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology with a Specialization in Biblical Studies from the Gregorian University, Rome, Italy.  Before his appointment to Ursuline, George served on the faculties of Borromeo College of Ohio from 1982-1991 and Notre Dame College of Ohio from 1992-1999.

 Now as an adjunct professor at Ursuline, George continues to teach Bioethics, a course required for all Ursuline nursing majors.  Because of his expertise in Bioethics, George has been appointed to and currently serves on the Ethics Committees of both St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and Jennings Center for Older Adults. 

George has a strong interest in the ethical dimension of human relationships with animals and has lectured at the National Animal Rights Conference several times.  He has published reviews of several books in the field of Animals and Ethics.  George has lectured at conferences at Oxford University, England, as well as at Yale University and Michigan State University.  Locally, George has offered conferences on biblical, ethical, and theological topics in parishes throughout the Diocese of Cleveland. 

George has served both as a faculty member and a Board member of the Cleveland Ecumenical Institute for Religious Studies for several years and presently serves as the Board President. George resides in Lyndhurst with his cats Jazzy and Sparky.