Suffering in evolutionary biology and Christian theology: Mutually exclusive notions?

Theologia Viatorum

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Suffering in evolutionary biology and Christian theology: Mutually exclusive notions?
 
Creator Bentley, Wessel
 
Subject Systematic Theology; Anthropology suffering; Christian theology; evolutionary biology; theodicy; science and religion.
Description The question of suffering, specifically that experienced by human beings, has been contentious in the discourses of biology and religion. The dilemma, especially in the Christian faith tradition has been to reconcile suffering with the idea of a benevolent deity in whose image humans are believed to have been created. Evolutionary biology, and specifically the field of cognitive psychology, contends that the experience of suffering may have more pragmatic origins, while not necessarily being to the benefit of the individual, may be a mechanism that favours the longevity of a species. This article explores the understanding of ‘natural suffering’ from the perspective of evolutionary biology and Christian faith convictions and proposes principles that can facilitate a mutually beneficial religion and science discourse.Contribution: This article investigates suffering in evolutionary biology and Christian theology respectively. Its interdisciplinary nature contributes towards the science and religion discourse.
 
Publisher AOSIS Publishing
 
Contributor
Date 2023-05-31
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Literary analysis
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/tv.v47i1.182
 
Source Theologia Viatorum; Vol 47, No 1 (2023); 6 pages 2664-2980 0378-4142
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://theologiaviatorum.org/index.php/tv/article/view/182/465 https://theologiaviatorum.org/index.php/tv/article/view/182/467 https://theologiaviatorum.org/index.php/tv/article/view/182/466 https://theologiaviatorum.org/index.php/tv/article/view/182/468
 
Rights Copyright (c) 2023 Wessel Bentley https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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