John Hick's modern formulation of the Irenaean theodicy in 'Evil and the God of Love' adapts and significantly develops the embryonic soul-making concepts found in the early church father Irenaeus.
The claim that John Hick's modern formulation differs significantly from the original theology of Irenaeus is a standard scholarly observation regarding his historical reconstruction and development of the soul-making theodicy, representing common knowledge in the philosophy of religion. Therefore, no citation of empirical papers is required.