Obscured Goodness

Chapter 4 examines what it means to affirm creation’s goodness in light of the abundance of pain and suffering in the world. It examines how the appearing of creation’s goodness becomes obfuscated in the midst of bodily suffering and death, which in turn, challenges the credibility of the doctrine. In response, the latter half of the chapter explores how affirming creation’s goodness does not require one to diminish the significance of suffering and death, but instead, affirms that all suffering life is worthy of compassion and care. This position is developed with reference to a Christological reading of creation’s goodness that engages the work of Elizabeth Johnson and Emmanuel Falque. The chapter concludes by arguing that creation’s goodness validates a wide spectrum of experiences and is not dependent on evaluating the weight of good versus bad phenomena in one’s life.