Extinction, Natural Evil, and the Cosmic Cross

Did the God of the Bible create a Darwinian world in which violence and suffering (disvalue) are the means by which the good (value) is realized? This is Christopher Southgate's insightful and dramatic formulation of the theodicy problem. In addressing this problem, the Exeter theologian rightl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zygon
Main Author: Peters, Ted 1941- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell [2018]
In: Zygon
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Southgate, Christopher 1953- / Theodicy / Evolution / Evil / Eschatology / Resurrection / New creation
IxTheo Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
NBC Doctrine of God
NBF Christology
Further subjects:B Christopher Southgate
B Natural Evil
B Theodicy
B New Creation
B Theology of the cross
B Eschatology
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:Did the God of the Bible create a Darwinian world in which violence and suffering (disvalue) are the means by which the good (value) is realized? This is Christopher Southgate's insightful and dramatic formulation of the theodicy problem. In addressing this problem, the Exeter theologian rightly invokes the Theology of the Cross in its second manifestation, that is, we learn from the cross of Jesus Christ that God is present to nonhuman as well as human victims of predation and extinction. God co-suffers with creatures in their despair, abandonment, physical suffering, and death. What I will add with more force than Southgate is this: the Easter resurrection is a prolepsis of the eschatological new creation, and it is God's new creation which retroactively determines past creation. Although this does not eliminate the theodicy question, it lessens its moral sting.
ISSN:1467-9744
Contains:Enthalten in: Zygon
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/zygo.12454