Trent Dougherty

Dougherty obtained a MA in philosophy from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a PhD from the University of Rochester in 2009.^[1] He was a Professor of Philosophy at Baylor University from 2009 to 2018.^[1] He resigned in 2018 after an investigation at Baylor University determined he had violated the Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Interpersonal Violence Policy.^[2] He was found "responsible" on some allegations and "not responsible" on others.^[2] Dougherty has stated that none of the allegations against him were of "sexual assault or sexual activity".^[3] He was a former Executive Editor of the Journal of Analytic Theology.^[1]

Dougherty authored The Problem of Animal Pain in 2014 which addresses the issue of animal suffering from a Christian perspective.^[4][5] The book argues that the only possible way that animal suffering could be justified is that if the animals are resurrected after death and become full-fledged persons.^[4][6] He was influenced by Irenaeus' "soul-making" theodicy popularized by philosopher John Hick.^[4] Dougherty argues that God's ultimate purpose for all his creatures is sainthood and that the world is finely tuned for the right amount of suffering to produce saintly creatures.^[4] A review of the book noted that Dougherty "employs a version of John Hick's theodicy of soul-making as a God-justifying account of suffering by animals".^[7] Critics have stated that Dougherty's soul-making theodicy combined with an animal afterlife keeps the reason for suffering obscure.^[8]