Rolston, Holmes, 1932-, author2021-03-232021-03-232012Rolston, Holmes, 1932-, Suffering through to Something Higher, James W. Haag, Gregory R. Peterson, and Michael L. Spezio, eds., The Routledge Companion to Religion and Science, Chapter 23: 248-258. London: Routledge, 2012.https://hdl.handle.net/10217/229272Includes bibliographical references.The Darwinian world of "survival of the fittest" is "survival of the better adapted." Over evolutionary time the fight for life deepens into sentience, and sentience into suffering. This forces philosophers and theologians to see what sense they can make of it. All organisms are under stress. Pain arises in those with neurons. With neuronal nets of increasing complexity, life crosses the threshold of felt experience. Natural history might be called the evolution of suffering; or, equally plausibly, the evolution of caring. Pain, both physical and social, is a prolife force; suffering produces creativity. The generating and testing of selves by conflict and resolution fills habitats with better adapted fits, better able to send life into the next generation. Biblical writers rejoice in nature; they also speak of nature laboring in travail. Regenerative suffering makes history. Tragic beauty is the law of the narrative: cruciform nature.born digitalchapters (layout features)eng©2012 Routledge.Copyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.sufferingstresspainfelt experienceneuronscaringsurvival of the better adaptedculturesocial sufferingcruciform natureText