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Prayer: Puppies and The Praying Animal*

In honor of last Sunday’s National Puppy Day, I want to ask a question that every true dog lover has asked at one point: What separates humans, Homo sapiens, from animals, like puppies?

Aristotle asked this question and concluded, with much of subsequent Christian theology following him, that human rationality differentiates us from other animals. But, anyone who has ever watched an episode of the Real World, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, or the nightly news can tell you that even though we are capable, humans rarely act rationally. Aristotle recognized this fact and defined rationality in terms of potentiality. That is, humans are different than other creatures because of their potential to be rational.

The problem with this position is that the theory of evolution implies that all species evolve in a process of adaptive development. From the point of view of evolution, humans and other animals are on the same continuum of developing rationally. In that case, the very value that should separate them (i.e. the potential for rationality) they actually share. Therefore, just because some humans are better at grammar and arithmetic does not offer a characteristic or value that differentiates people from other animals, they are all on their way to developing.**

Might there be a better, theological answer to differentiate humans from other animals?

First, we must begin with Christianity’s conviction that from eternity past God is in conversation with himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this inner triune relationship God is both the addresser and addressee of his word. Out of this conversation overflows the word-created, word-sustained creation. Creation is the subject of the trinity’s conversation. Creation is what God talks about.

This triune conversation, however, does not establish a creation to be just talked about. No, this triune conversation actually creates conversation partners. The triune God seeks not to just speak about humans, but God desires to speak to us. And this address beckons an answer. The creaturely answer to God’s address is what we call prayer.

Humans are separated from other creatures because we are praying animals: we can both hear and respond to God’s word.

While this might seem to put other creatures in a vulnerable position to be exploited, it in fact, places responsibility on humans to order their own prayer and lives in correspondence with the self-giving, triune God who addresses them in Jesus Christ. This is good news for people and for puppies.

*Much of this post is influenced by Robert W. Jenson’s (possibly the most important living American theologian) article, “The Praying Animal.”

**One can see how this position can be used to justify “weeding” out a population deemed less “rational.” E.g. the Nazis, eugenics, etc.

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