Exploring Evil in Milton's Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost invites readers to explore profound questions about God, evil, and the human condition.

### Exploring the Depths of Evil and Divine Providence in Paradise Lost
* 📖 This course invites you to delve into the profound themes of John Milton's "Paradise Lost," particularly focusing on **why God permits evil in the world**.
* 🌳 "The fruit of that forbidden tree, whose **mortal taste brought death into the world**," sets the stage for exploring the **origins of sin and grace**.
* 🤔 Stephen Smith prompts us to ponder fundamental questions about **love, grace, sin, and eternal providence** as we navigate through the poem.
* 😈 Satan serves as a crucial character through which Milton illustrates the **nature of the fallen mind**, emphasizing its **flawed perceptions and decision-making processes**.
* 🌌 Milton encourages readers to envision the contrast between **Hell, Heaven, and Eden**, sparking curiosity about the **nature of unfallen humanity**.
* 🌱 The poem reveals that humanity is "**created sufficient to stand and free to fall**," highlighting the delicate balance of free will.
* ✍ As we engage with this literary masterpiece, we will experience the **brilliance of Milton's intellect** and the **rich layers of meaning** within his work.

[Narrator] The fruit of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste brought death into the world. [Stephen Smith] Have you ever wondered how it all began? Have you ever wondered about love, about grace and sin? Have you ever wondered about eternal providence, about the ways of God? Paradise Lost is an unforgettable exploration of these subjects. Satan is the primary means by which Milton teaches us about the fallen mind, how it sees, thinks, how it makes decisions. Milton wants us to understand the fallen mind so that we can avoid being misled by it. We begin in the dark, in Hell. The poem turns to Heaven and then to Eden. Milton challenges us to imagine what was Eden like? What is unfallen human nature like? To see that we are created sufficient to stand and free to fall. We're not just encountering paper. We're encountering the living intellect of a master spirit. In this course, we'll join John Milton on a great poetic flight,

dedicated to exploring the question of why God permits evil. This is an invitation to the full feast, to experience and enjoy the greatest long poem written in the English language. I'm Stephen Smith. This is our course on Paradise Lost. Let's begin.

Paradise Lost | Official Trailer

Hillsdale College Online Courses

Paradise Lost delves into themes of love, grace, sin, and eternal providence.

Satan's role is central to understanding the fallen mind and its decision-making.

The poem takes the reader from Hell to Heaven and then to Eden, challenging us to contemplate unfallen human nature and the concept of free will.

Exploring the Question of Evil in Paradise Lost

The course on Paradise Lost invites participants to explore why God permits evil.

It highlights the poem as the greatest long poem in the English language.

Stephen Smith leads the course, encouraging a deep engagement with the text.