Monotheism and the Suffering of Animals in Nature

Monotheists confessing a loving creator confront nature red in tooth and claw. This Element gives fresh insight into this problem.

Christopher Southgate (Author)

9781108948685, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 6 July 2023

75 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 0.4 cm, 0.127 kg

This Element concerns itself with a particular aspect of the problem posed to monotheistic religious thought by suffering, namely the suffering of non-human creatures in nature. It makes some comparisons between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and then explores the problem in depth within Christian thought. After clarification of the nature of the problem, the Element considers a range of possible responses, including those based on a fall-event, those based on freedom of process, and those hypothesising a constraint on the possibilities for God as creator. Proposals based on the motif of self-emptying are evaluated. Two other aspects of the question concern God's providential relationship to the evolving creation, and the possibility of resurrection lives for animals. After consideration of the possibility of combining different explanations, the Element ends its discussion by looking at two innovative proposals at the cutting-edge of the debate.

Introduction
1. Monotheism and suffering
2. Clarifying the problem
3. Applying approaches to the problem of evil to animal suffering
4. Theodical moves in the Christian tradition, and the challenge of Darwinism
5. Fall-event-based theodicies
6. Process theodicy and free-process arguments
7. Only-way arguments
8. Self-emptying and cruciform creation
9. Questions of providence and divine co-suffering
10. Forms of redemption and immortality for non-human creatures
11. Combining strategies
12. Speculative proposal I – influenced by Plato's Timaeus
13. Speculative proposal II – creaturely resistance and angelic rebellion
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Religion: general [HRA]