Animal Suffering in Evolution: A Spectrum of Christian Approaches

Long before humans could be blamed for causing harm and suffering to animals in the world, nature was “red in tooth and claw.” For hundreds of millions of years, creatures have eaten each other, caused disease, and suffered from genetic conditions like cancer. This lecture explores how Christian theologians have tackled this challenge and how it relates to the more general problem of evil. How could a good God create through a process like evolution, when it involves so much suffering, death, and extinction?