Prof. Timothy O’Connor examines why an all-loving, omnipotent God permits horrendous suffering and explores how, within a Christian framework, such evils can be “defeated” and taken up into the communion of saints as part of our eternal union with God.

This lecture was given on December 3rd, 2025, at University of Scranton.

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About the Speakers:

Tim O’Connor is the Mahlon Powell Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Science at Indiana University, Bloomington. He has held research fellowships at the Universities of Oxford, St. Andrews, and Notre Dame. He specializes in metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of religion. He has given 200+ lectures in 26 countries. He has written two books, one on free will and the other on God and ultimate explanation. He is currently co-writing a large and wide-ranging book entitled Human Persons: A Contemporary Philosophical-Scientific Synthesis.

Having spent many years as an ecumenical Protestant, Tim was received back into the Catholic Church in February 2024. He has an apostolate to help Protestants better understand and be receptive to the fullness of Catholic faith.

Keywords: Communion of Saints, Eleonore Stump, Horrendous Evil, Marylyn McCord Adams, Problem of Evil, Suffering and Divine Love, Theodicy, Union With God, Wandering in Darkness

Suffering and the Communion of Saints – Prof. Timothy O'Connor

The Thomistic Institute