Christian Environmental Theology

What do you think are some of the challenges that remain for Christian environmental theology? I am presuming here that, if you're the sort of Christian that likes a blog like mine, you're not the sort of Christian who needs to have the dots joined between Christian ethics, creation care and environmental theology. But where do we go beyond the basic joining of the dots? How much more remains to be done.

So, with those questions in mind I was running some searches on Christian environmental theology and came across a few links which may interest some of you.
 

Celebrating Christ with Creation - A Theology of Worship for The Season of Creation "We often do theology in a vacuum, detached from the context of daily life, personal experience or common worship. The theological outline in this work arises from two specific living contexts: the environmental crisis facing our planet and our regular worship life in community.  More specifically, this outline also provides a theological basis for a new season of the church year, namely, The Season of Creation."

What Are They Saying About Environmental Theology? "In this timely and important work, John Hart offers an in-depth analysis of Catholic Church teachings on the environment and environmental themes."

This Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, Environment "From Christian ecotheology and Buddhist critiques of economic globalization to religious environmental activism and spiritual practices to celebrate the sacredness of nature, the book includes careful scholarship, groundbreaking theology, historical analysis, and accounts of real world struggles. Fully engaged with both the world's religious traditions and the worldwide environmental crisis, This Sacred Earth is an invaluable teaching resource and inspiring introduction to religion's complex relationship to the environment."

The Place of Environmental Theology: A guide for seminaries, colleges and universities "The Conference brought together participants from various parts of Europe to explore the theology of creation care and how seminaries, theological colleges and faculties, and Christian training courses across Europe could be encouraged to build a concern for the environment into every aspect of the life of Christian communities – in learning and living as the people of Christ."

Personally I think much work needs to be done with worship, with leadership training, with apologetics, and of course, with practice. Where do you see blind spots and opportunities for growth?

Comments

[ron cole]

Hi Matt, this is a link to a post I wrote about a week ago...

http://thewearypilgrim.typepad.com/the_weary_pilgrim/2008/02/redeeming-the-r.html

But, on top of that we need a renewed theology of redemption...beyond the individual. If the Word that spoke every speck of creation inexistence in Genesis...that is in all, and holds all together even at this moment ( Colossians1:15-20 )...is the same word made flesh and bones that moved into our neighborhood...and died on the cross, making a new covenant with humanity. Just maybe the redemptive imagination of God, is beyond our saving of passengers for the mass transit at the end of time. Maybe redemption is about all creation!

And maybe reading a little Meister Eckhart, and Matthew fox would help. Peace...great post, getting us thinking BIGGER. Ron+

[Mike Lowe]

I was talking with an ex-Jehovah's Witness friend recently who said that the JWs don't worry about the environment because the end-times are coming soon anyway and God will sort it all out! I suspect that a sizeable number of charismatics and conservative evangelicals reason the same way.

So I'd say that we need to pay attention to getting our eschatology right as well.

Beyond that, looking at my own materialist tendencies I would say that Christians need to find ways of helping liberate people from the compulsion to spend and consume. I wonder how many people indulge in 'retail therapy' because of loneliness, depression, poor self-esteem, lack of purpose. An experience of Christ which leaves people still feeling the compulsion to spend and consume is an inadequate experience of Christ. In such cases I wouldn't put the blame on the individual (adding to guilt) but would ask questions of the Christian community they are part of.

[Steve Hayes]

Thanks for the links.

When I have time I'll put them on the blog of the Southern African Faith Communities' Environment Institute.

[Matt Stone]

On the connections between environmentalism, escatology and overconsumption, its probably worth re-reading the passages from Revelation concerning the Great Harlot. And to the ones who would say, "We don't need to worry about the environment because the end times are coming soon" I would ask, "Have you been lying down with her?" When you think about it, whenever we bow down to market forces as the bottom line we commit idolatry. To be fair then, I think we all have laid down with her to greater and lesser degrees. THAT repentance is required is not a question for me, WHAT repentance requires is more my struggle. How do we live a less consumer oriented life in a society which holds up consumption as a virtue each evening on our TV screens?

[Matt Stone]

Ron, have you read Ron Sider at all? Personally I tend to go more for writers like him who draw out the forgotten synchronicities between evangelical and social justice concerns, who hold them in creative tension.

[Don Bosch (evaneco.com)]

Started a string on your question here:

http://www.evaneco.com/?p=1051

Got a comment back from Ed Brown, who blogs at Care of Creation, and who is also looking for your thoughts.