A Virocentric Perspective on Evil

Abstract

Abstract. The coronavirus pandemic has stirred interest in viruses. This has been accompanied by a proliferation of popular works trying to explain how viruses fit into the Christian worldview. In an anthropocentric perspective, viruses are easily regarded as malicious entities. This article, however, shows that a proper understanding of the biology of viruses actually adds another level of complexity to our perception of good and evil. Interestingly, this additional layer of complexity might help us solve some of the most urgent difficulties in the discussion about good and evil, if we recognize the subjective nature of what we call natural evil. We need to be more nuanced not merely in our theological discussion about good and evil, but also in the way we talk about viruses.

God and a World of Natural Evil: Theology and Science in Hard Conversation

“…I think Moritz goes much too far when he says simply that viruses are evil (Moritz 2020). A protein of probable viral origin is essential to the development of the human placenta (Schilling 2021). These resistances do not ultimately prevail against the overall purposes of God, even though they may add to the burden of creaturely suffering already entailed by a world of evolutionary struggle, the only type of world (so I claim) capable of realizing God's purposes.…”

Enough of Galileo and the Huxley-Wilberforce Debate: Science and Theology in the Climate Emergency

“…I have reflected much on the implications of COVID for the debate about natural evil, stimulated by a series of pieces that emerged with remarkable speed (Wright 2020;Collins 2020;Moritz 2020;Schilling 2021). These shed further light on a now-familiar fault-line on the question of disvalues in an evolving creation.…”