At the Faculty of Theology, Nicolaus Copernicus University we have ended the Conference Pain and Suffering: Evolutionary and Theological Perspective. We are pleased to welcome and appreciate the contribution of scientists and lecturers from many European countries.
The City of Toruń and Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region were again a place of interdisciplinary, scientific discussion.
The conference addressed the theological aspects of evolutionary explanations of natural evil, which do not seem to correspond to the image of a merciful God conveyed by the Christian tradition. However, it is appropriate to speak of the scarcity of goods rather than of natural selection, and that this involves the occasion for much behaviour that would not be the case otherwise. The need for theology to relate to scientific data, which is largely an opportunity rather than a threat, was also emphasized: it is practicing a ‘bottom-up’ theology that can provide an integrated picture of the world. Many contributions highlighted the various aspects of pain and suffering (by referring to research on altruism, sexual violence, etc.), and attempt to redefine the classical doctrine of original sin or transhumanist ideas on overcoming biological evil which seems to be very superfluous. Participants paid particular attention to theological approaches to evil present in theological tradition, i.e. in the cross of Christ, but also to some contemporary philosophical interpretations (Wojtyla, Unamuno, Girard, etc.). There was also an intent to reconsider, in light of recent literature, a consistent framework for understanding the divine action in nature (dual causality model in Aquinas) and to formulate some possible rules of dynamic theodicy model that would respect scientific claims, once established the epistemological validation of such approach.
We are grateful for the support of the Marshal of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region, the President of Toruń, Radio PiK, the NCU Faculty of Theology, and the Laboratory of St. John Paul II.
Photo by BK / Scire UMK
