The Groaning of Creation

On October 18, 2025, Philip Clayton gave a lecture at Tripp Fuller's Homebrewed Christianity Theology Beer Camp 2025 on a Theology of the Groaning of Creation (A Cosmic Account).

Clayton's talk first covered the origins and evolution of the universe, including images from space telescopes and discussions on star formation and potentially habitable planets. He explored scientific and spiritual perspectives on the nature of life and consciousness, including insights into biological processes, brain function, and animal intelligence..

He drew connections between ecological crises, human suffering, and Christian doctrine. He argued that believers and scientists should collaborate on environmental issues, noting Christians' paradoxical resistance to climate science. Perhaps we fail to see reality through emerging science, a deep-time, cosmic, and evolutionary perspective?

He explored the biblical concept of creation's groaning as a metaphor for birth and suffering, emphasizing its implications for Christology, anthropology, and ecological justice. He concluded by advocating for a theology of lament that leads to action against ecological and social injustices, citing liberation theology's emphasis on the epistemic privilege of the poor and suffering.

It is my guess that Clayton was referencing New Testament texts from Romans and Mark to offer a bridge to more traditional, biblical Christians a broader, cosmic understanding of our participation in the Divine unfolding of evolution and salvation as the unfolding of the Kindom of God on earth.

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Clayton was followed with a powerful presentation by Dr. Shaleen Kendrick, about the groaning, suffering and joy of childbirth: a buffalo herd mentality that responds to an approaching storm by running into it rather than retreating; and a neuro-relational spirituality that contributes to humanity's forward momentum by helping the integration of humanity’s three intelligence centers—mental (mind), instinctual (body), and emotional (spirit)—in unique ways and with interdisciplinary insights. I loved Shaleen's spontaneous remark about her "scholarly crush" on Ilia Delio, wanting to "make brain babies with her." Check out Desert Voices and Shaleen's website Neuro-Relational Integration.

"In Neuro-Relational Spirituality (NRS), we know that true power lies in integration, where mind-body-spirit synthesize to create transformative action…or not! Kendrick says we have three “brains”—the head-brain, heart-brain, and gut-brain—each with unique insights:

MIND: Our prefrontal cortex engages with values and vision. This mindful awareness grounds our decisions in purpose.

BODY: Our “second brain” (gut) guides us with intuition and courage, grounding us in belonging and resilience.

SPIRIT: The heart’s neural network enables empathy and connection. Through voting, we expand beyond ourselves, holding space for community well-being.