13 November, 2024
We are deeply honoured to welcome Dr Bethany Sollereder from the School of Divinity, the University of Edinburgh, to lead the Science and Religion in Interfaith Contexts Reading Group session.
Here are more details of this fascinating event.
Title: Animal Suffering in Evolution: A Spectrum of Christian Approaches
Abstract: 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?
Speaker’s biography: Dr Bethany Sollereder is Lecturer in Science and Religion at the School of Divinity in the University of Edinburgh, UK. Dr Sollereder received her PhD in Theology from the University of Exeter and an MCS in interdisciplinary studies from Regent College, Vancouver. She specialises in theology concerning evolution and the problem of suffering. Her current work is about the theological possibilities and human vocation in the light of irreversible changes in ecological degradation. She is also interested in the intersection between psychology and faith, particularly how different approaches to theology can affect people’s experiences of suffering. This interest led to the publication of “Why is There Suffering? Pick your own theological adventure” (Zondervan 2021), the first pick-your-own-ending theology book. Dr Sollereder is working on a wider research programme in what she has called “Compassionate Theodicy”. She has recently co-edited the volume “Progress in Theology: Does the Queen of the Sciences Advance?” (Routledge 2025).
Chair: Professor Paul Ewart, Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford, and former Director of The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, UK
Date: Wednesday, 13 November, 2024
Time: 18:00-19:00 GMT | 19:00-20:00 CEST | 10:00-11:00 PT | 13:00-14:00 ET
Venue: Online
Related Sessions:
- Animal Suffering in Evolution: A Spectrum of Christian Approaches
- Awakened Brain: Science of Spirituality and Human Flourishing
- Science-Engaged Theology in Judaism: Historical Overview
- Can Nature be ‘Red in tooth and Claw’ in the Thought of Augustine?
- The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life
- Speaking Specifically in a Multireligious Conversation with Science
- Reflections on Science & Religion: Contradictory or Complementary?
- 🕯️Science and Religion: An Interfaith Invitation for Fresh Narratives
