Christopher Southgate, a theologian and biochemist, has extensively addressed the problem of evil, particularly focusing on the suffering inherent in the natural world as revealed by evolutionary processes. His work seeks to reconcile the existence of a benevolent Creator with the apparent cruelty observed in nature.
The Groaning of Creation
In his book The Groaning of Creation: God, Evolution, and the Problem of Evil, Southgate explores the paradox of a world that is both “very good” and filled with pain, suffering, and death. He argues that the evolutionary process, with its intrinsic predation and extinction, is the means by which a diverse and complex biosphere has emerged. This process, while producing beauty and complexity, also entails significant suffering.
Compound Evolutionary Theodicy
Southgate proposes a “compound evolutionary theodicy,” which acknowledges that the goodness of creation is intrinsically linked to the evolutionary processes that produce both life and suffering. He identifies three methods of analyzing good and harm:
- Property Consequence: The existence of good includes the possibility of the same property causing harm (e.g., free will).
- Developmental: Good is a goal that can only develop through a process that includes harm (e.g., soul-making).
- Constitutive: The existence of good is inherently inseparable from the experience of harm or suffering (e.g., evolution).
Through these lenses, Southgate argues that natural evils are an inevitable side-effect of the processes that lead to the development of life.
The Only Way Argument
Southgate contends that the evolutionary process, with all its associated suffering, was the only way to achieve the richness and diversity of life we observe. He suggests that a universe with such beauty and complexity could only come about through natural evolutionary processes.
Eschatological Hope
Importantly, Southgate rejects the notion that the evolution of any species justifies the suffering and extinction of prior species. He affirms that all creatures that have died without realizing their full potential must be given fulfillment elsewhere, pointing towards an eschatological hope where the present creation is transformed by God into a new creation.
Divine Co-Suffering
Southgate emphasizes that God is not distant from creation’s suffering but co-suffers with every sentient being. This perspective aligns with the concept of a cruciform nature, where the capacity to suffer through to joy is seen as a supreme emergent and an essence of Christianity.
Through his work, Southgate offers a nuanced approach to the problem of evil, integrating scientific understanding with theological reflection, and providing a framework for reconciling the existence of a loving God with the realities of evolutionary suffering.
Categories: Question of suffering