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.