I agree that these elements are vital. May I add another. I think there
are some things in Gen 3 which are pretty crucial to a Christian theodicy
in that they have to do with why the Incarnation and Cross are necessary.
That is to say that the self subjection of God to suffering has to do with
his purpose of being a penal substitute for us in relation to the guilt of
sin. Rom 5 & 6 spell out that complementarity between the Fall and the
Cross. Whilst Gen 3 does not indicate the ultimate source of evil in that
it does not explain the appearance of the serpent whose evil intent plainly
pre-exists the story, it does seem to be saying something about the
despoiling of the creation by human sin.
I think we need to note that theodicy is critical to any theistic account
of origins, because one of the questions it seeks to answer is the origin
of evil and to do so without imputing evil to the one who originated the
universe.
Incidentally, there is a fascinating inversion in relation to the
importance of theodicy to us:
If you have God then your account of origins has to deal with the existence
of evil within the universe.
If you have no god then your account of origins has to deal with the
existence of good within the universe.
So Dawkins has to write his Selfish Gene.
Keith Walker
Wrexham, Wales