This book offers the first comprehensive systematic theological reflection on arguably the most serious issue facing humanity and other creatures today. Responding to climate change is often left to scientists, policy makers and activists, but what understanding does theology have to offer? In this collection, the authors demonstrate that there is vital cultural and intellectual work for theologians to perform in responding to climate science and in commending a habitable way forward. Written from a range of denominations and traditions yet with ecumenical intent, the authors explore key Christian doctrines and engage with some of the profound issues raised by climate change. Key questions considered include: What may be said about the goodness of creation in the face of anthropogenic climate change? And how does theology handle a projected future without the human? The volume provides students and scholars with fascinating theological insight into the complexity of climate change.

This book offers the first comprehensive systematic theological reflection on arguably the most serious issue facing humanity and other creatures today. Responding to climate change is often left to scientists, policy makers and activists, but what understanding does theology have to offer? In this collection, the authors demonstrate that there is vital cultural and intellectual work for theologians to perform in responding to climate science and in commending a habitable way forward. Written from a range of denominations and traditions yet with ecumenical intent, the authors explore key Christian doctrines and engage with some of the profound issues raised by climate change. Key questions considered include: What may be said about the goodness of creation in the face of anthropogenic climate change? And how does theology handle a projected future without the human? The volume provides students and scholars with fascinating theological insight into the complexity of climate change.

The biblical and Christian traditions have long been seen to have legitimated and encouraged humanity's aggressive domination of nature. Biblical visions of the future, with destruction for the earth and rescue for the elect, have also discouraged any concern for the earth's future or the welfare of future generations. But we now live in a time when environmental issues are at the centre of political and ethical debate. What is needed is a new reading of the biblical tradition that can meet the challenges of the ecological issues that face humanity at the beginning of the third millennium. 'The Bible and the Environment' examines a range of biblical texts - from Genesis to Revelation - evaluating competing interpretations. The Bible provides a thoroughly ambivalent legacy. Certainly, it cannot provide straightforward teaching on care for the environment but nor can it simply be seen as an anti-ecological book. Developing an 'ecological hermeneutic' as a way of mediating between contemporary concerns and the biblical text, 'The Bible and the Environment' presents a way of productively reading the Bible in the context of contemporary ecology.

Dianne Rayson addresses the theological and ethical questions of anthropogenic climate change by engaging the works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. She dives deep into Bonhoeffer's texts and ecotheological insights, and emerges with an Earthly Christianity for the Anthropocene that is Christological, relational, and steeped in ethical responsibility.

Cover -- Dedication -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- 1. The Geopolitics of a Slow Catastrophe -- 2. Coal, Cosmos, and Creation -- 3. Engineering the Air -- 4. Carbon Indulgences, Ecological Debt, and Metabolic Rift -- 5. The Crisis of Cosmopolitan Reason -- 6. The Nomos of the Earth and Governing the Anthropocene -- 7. Revolutionary Messianism and the End of Empire -- Index

In 2017 Christians around the world will mark the five hundredth anniversary of the Reformation. In the midst of many appeals for reformation today, a growing number of theologians, scholars, and activists around the world believe Reformation celebrations in 2017 and beyond need to focus now on the urgent need for an Eco-Reformation. The rise of industrial, fossil fuel-driven capitalism and the explosive growth in human population endanger the fundamental planetary life-support systems on which life as we know it has evolved. The collective impact of human production, consumption, and reproduction is undermining the ecological systems that support human life on Earth. If human beings do not reform their relationship with God's creation, unspeakable suffering will befall many--especially the weakest and most vulnerable among all species. The conviction at the heart of this collection of essays is that a gospel call for ecological justice belongs at the heart of the five hundredth anniversary observance of the Reformation in 2017 and as a--if not the--central dimension of Christian conversion, faith, and practice into the foreseeable future. Like Luther's Ninety-Five Theses, this volume brings together critical biblical, pastoral, theological, historical, and ethical perspectives that constructively advance the vision of a socially and ecologically flourishing Earth.

Guarino argues in this book that the doctrinal form of the Christian faith, in its essential characteristics, calls for certain theoretical exigencies. This is to say that the proportion and beauty of the form is not served or illuminated by simply any presuppositions. Rather, a determinate understanding of first philosophy, of the nature of truth, of hermeneutical theory, of the predication of language and mutual correlation is required if Christian faith and doctrine are to maintain a recognizable and suitably mediative form. Failing to adduce specific principles will lead either to a simple assertion of Christian truth, in which case the form of Christianity becomes less intelligible and attractive-or one will substitute a radically changed form, which is itself inappropriate for displaying the fundamental revelatory narrative of faith. The house of Christian faith possesses a certain proportion of structure; the form will sag badly if one removes an undergirding item, or if one beam is replaced with another of variable shape or size. The form's beauty will either be obscured, no longer clearly visible, or the form will become something quite different, no longer architectonically related to what was originally the case. The intention of this book is to discuss those doctrinal characteristics considered fundamental to the Christian faith, as protective of its revelatory form and, concomitantly, to examine the theoretical principles required if such form is to remain both intelligible and beautiful.

During his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI was called ‘the green pope’ because of his ecological commitments in his writings, statements, and practical initiatives. Containing twelve essays by lay, ordained, and religious Catholic theologians and scholars, along with a presentation and a homily by bishops, Environmental Justice and Climate Change: Assessing Pope Benedict XVI's Ecological Vision for the Catholic Church in the United States explores four key areas in connection with Benedict XVI’s teachings: human and natural ecology/human life and dignity; solidarity, justice, poverty and the common good; sacramentality of creation; and our Catholic faith in action. The product of mutual collaboration by bishops, scholars and staff, this anthology provides the most thorough treatment of Benedict XVI’s contributions to ecological teaching and offers fruitful directions for advancing concern among Catholics in the United States about ongoing threats to the integrity of Earth.

The Oxford Handbook of Systematic Theology brings together a set of original and authoritative accounts of all the major areas of current research in Christian systematic theology, offering a thorough survey of the state of the discipline and of its prospects for those undertaking research and teaching in the field. The Handbook engages in a comprehensive examination of themes and approaches, guiding the reader through current debates and literatures in the context of the historical development of systematic theological reflection. Organized thematically, it treats in detail the full array of topics in systematic theology, as well as questions of its sources and norms, its relation to other theological and non-theological fields of enquiry, and some major trends in current work. Each chapter provides an analysis of research and debate on its topic. The focus is on doctrinal (rather than historical) questions, and on major (rather than ephemeral) debates. The aim is to stimulate readers to reach theological judgements on the basis of consideration of the range of opinion. Drawn from Europe, the UK, and North America, the authors are all leading practitioners of the discipline. Readers will find expert guidance as well as creative suggestions about the future direction of the study of Christian doctrine.

Valuing Lives, Healing Earth: Religion, Gender, and Life on Earth analyzes and amplifies advocacy for gender and ecological justice in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, focusing on women who embody commitments to healing the earth and valuing lives rendered vulnerable by problematic social systems. The volume features essays from leading scholars Ivone Gebara (Brazil), Aruna Gnanadason (India), Rosemary Radford Ruether (U.S.), and Sylvia Marcos (Mexico) among renowned, established, and emerging scholars concerned with religion, environment, gender, and the many intersections between them in real life. The volume highlights scholarship on practical work by women globally, who labor toward greater justice for a diverse humanity and biodiverse nature, exerting collaborative solidarity, grounded love, and realistic hope for the future. This timely book presents compelling arguments of the intimate connections between gender, ecology, colonialism, indigeneity, and Christianity from global perspectives. Pertinent case studies, rigorous social analyses, and sound theological reflections make this book a must read for scholars, activists, Christian leaders, and students. In the gloomy days of record temperature, wildfires, and tropical storms, the authors offer hope and vision to fight climate change. Kwok Pui-lan, Dean's Professor of Systematic Theology, Candler School of Theology at Emory UniversityRosemary Radford Ruether's contribution to ecofeminist theology cannot be overestimated. This signal volume, including voices from all over the world, is a fitting unfolding of the trajectory Rosemary set ... in her pioneering effort to value each living creature, human and otherwise, and to heal Earth of the wounds inflicted by a ruthless human(un)kind. These essays ... provide a partial roadmap for moving forward as a global community. From diverse starting points, the authors explore crucial issues that a great theologian projected. What a legacy, what a challenge! Mary E. Hunt, a feminist theologian, is co-director of the Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER) This timely collection is an homage to Rosemary Ruether's foundational work linking social and environmental justice. A collaboration of diverse feminist writers from both the Global South and the Global North, the book delivers a sophisticated and nuanced engagement with current critical issues involving climate, biodiversity, and human diversity in its complexity. The alleviation of human suffering and healing the earth emerge as important components of the pursuit of justice. Frida Kerner Furman, Professor Emerita, Religious Studies, DePaul University