JOHN FRANCIS PEARRING JR. / JOHN SORENSEN
A Snarl Theology calls God a merciful creator, a big-picture divinity, bigger than anything imaginable. Scripture confirms that in the restoration of the world and all its environs, there will be a settlement between God and his creatures. A covenant to set animals and us back as we were meant to be. "I will make a covenant for them on that day, with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, and with the things that crawl on the ground." (Hosea 2:20) Redemption is the divine act of follow-through regarding covenant--washing away our faults, defects, and foibles and taking us into the arms of the divine. Are animals rewarded with redemption, like us--with a full restoration? To imagine that God will not reward these martyred creatures, who play a significant role in human redemption, weakens the concept and promise of paradise. Animals are sentient beyond our understanding, residents in a universe where God communicates with everyone. This animal kingdom theology implies that animals, too, hear God's voice.A Snarl Theology's hope for animals to be our redemptive allies shouldn't cancel doctrine, upset dogma, or countermand Christianity. It should increase our love of God.
