Animal Saints

Abstract

In the previous two chapters, I presented what I take to be a stronger theodicy than has previously appeared. The key was combining — in a natural and organic way, not just through amalgam — (i) a Hick/ Swinburne(/Hasker) Irenaean theodicy with (ii) a version of Adams’s adaptation of Chisholm’s notion of defeat, (iii) refracted through the lens of sainthood. Through attention to the “Fathers” of the church as well as Saints through the ages, I upped the ante from soul-making to saint-making by noting that (i) the evils of this world make available not just generally good moral character, valuable as that is, but true saintliness, the value of which is almost inestimable, and (ii) most of the highest virtues may be seen as revelations of agape love. Then I noted that one paradigmatic way evil may be defeated is through martyrdom, a love-generated (love for both God and for those made in the image of God) willingness to suffer for the sake of others and to glorify God, to give oneself wholly to God and abandon oneself to his plan. It is my position that rightly oriented souls will, in retrospect, look upon their role in the drama of salvation, embrace their role, and see in their role God’s goodness to them. This further assumes that God only acts justly toward them, for they must be recognizing and appreciating the fact that they were being both justly and lovingly included in important ways by God in ways that were of benefit not only to others, but to them.