“Explaining Evil is a book that both theists and non-theists, academics and non-academics will find useful for their studies on the problem of evil… I highly recommend  Explaining Evil for your consideration.”
– Religious Studies

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“This an outstanding book on the problem of evil. Instead of addressing the enduring debate over the value of evil as evidence against theism, the contributors to this book consider how evil fits into their theistic or atheistic perspectives. Anyone interested in the problem of evil-even those who feel that they have already read enough about the topic-should find the book intriguing and eye-opening.” 
– Yujin Nagasawa, Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the John Hick Centre for Philosophy of Religion, University of Birmingham, UK

Overall, the book is a welcome addition to the literature on the problem of evil. It approaches the problem in a way that is refreshingly different from the norm. The position-and-response format allows the reader to grasp the key elements of each view, briefly stated and in conversation with each other. Because the position, objections, and replies are collected together, by the end of each chapter it is clear what the lead position is, as well as its strengths and weaknesses.
— Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

“The tone is civil, but the critical interactions are lively and uninhibited ... The book is rounded out with an excellent recommended reading section … and an extensive bibliography emphasizing recent (some of it very recent) literature. Summing Up: Highly recommended.” 
– CHOICE

My name is Paul Franks and I'm the Vice President Academic and Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Tyndale University in Toronto (Canada). I am also Associate Professor of Philosophy and have been teaching in the philosophy department at Tyndale since 2008. Before moving to Toronto, I did my doctoral work on the problem of evil at the University of Oklahoma. My main area of research is in the philosophy of religion, but I also teach courses in philosophy of mind, ethics, and political philosophy. One of my on-going research projects is to explore the compatibility of one's various philosophical positions with distinctly Christian doctrines (e.g., the details of a free will defense with the doctrine of original sin). I edited a book for Bloomsbury Academic called Explaining Evil: Four Views that came out in January of 2019. It is available for order at Bloomsbury’s website and on Amazon.com.

You can find links to most of my published work on the "Writing" page and several public lectures on the "Speaking" page.

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