Ecotheology is a journal of constructive theology focusing on
key ecological concerns
Established in 1992 under the original title of Theology in Green, this journal
was relaunched in 1996 under the new title of Ecotheology. Like its parent
journal, Ecotheology focuses
on ecological themes from a theological
perspective, but aims to offer a range of in depth articles, to develop a global
focus and representation and to make connections
with lifestyle and praxis.
Ecotheology's editorial team is based
at Sarum College, Salisbury, UK and is
published by Sheffield Academic Press.
Ecotheology is published twice a year
approximately 128 pages
ISSN 1363-7320
Editorial and Contents of Issue 7
A Green Apocalypse?
Contents
Editorial
Mary Grey
Themed Articles:
The Seven Bowls of Wrath: An Ecological Parable
Richard Woods, op
Groundswell: An Ecofeminist Pneumatology of Sanctuary
Sharon V. Betcher
The Heat Is On: Apocalyptic Rhetoric and Climate Change
Catherine Keller
The End of Matter: Some Ecojustice Principlesin the Neo-Patristic Vision
Duncan Reid
Ecotheology and Eschatology
Thomas O'Loughlin
Feature Articles:
Christianity and the Irish Landscape in Lady Augusta Gregory's A Book of Saints
and Wonders
Susan Power Bratton
'The Mice have Eaten the Lipstick': Performing amidst Creation in South-west
Germany
Alison Phipps
Lifestyle
Dodabetta Mountain and the Medicinal Plants Development Area
Mary Grey
Book Reviews
Vincent Rossi
Edward P. Echlin, Earth Spirituality: Jesus at the Centre
Alastair McIntosh
Andrew Linzey and Dan Cohn-Sherbok, After Noah: Animals and the Liberation of
Theology
Andrew C. Ross
Michael Robson, St Francis of Assisi: The Legend and the Life
Wayne A. Holst
Nancy Ryley, The Forsaken Garden: Four Conversations on the Deep Meaning of
Environmental Illness
Anita Popplestone
Stephen Scharper, Redeeming the Time: A Political Theology of the Environment
Chris Clarke
Jace Weaver (ed.), Defending Mother Earth: Native American Perspectives on
Environmental Justice
Stephen W. Need
Benjamin Webb (ed.), Fugitive Faith: Conversations on Spiritual, Environmental,
and Community Renewal. Interviews by Benjamin Webb
The Earth Bible Project
The Inaugural Earth Charter Forum
Editorial
As the last issue of Ecotheology for this millennium goes to press, with its
theme of green apocalypse/eschatology, the global context is indeed apocalyptic.
There is no lack of gloom-and-doom prophets who see, literally, the hand of the
avenging angels of the tickling feet book of Revelation in every disaster-environmental or
military-from which planet earth and her creatures now suffer. No nuanced
approach here between what is humanly preventable and what is truly
unpre-dictable: the script of apocalypse threatens to swallow all modest
attempts to take responsibility for example, for the effects of deforestation in
its insistence that the end-time scenario is one of punishment for the majority
(unquestionably deserved) and eternal bliss for the elitist few (as it was for
the enraptured of the Reagan '80s).
The contributors of the theme articles certainly do not underrate the
catastrophic severity of the environmental crisis with its links to every other
form of human and non-human misery. Both Catherine Keller ('The Heat Is On:
Apocalyptic Rhetoric and Climate Change') and Richard Woods ('The Seven Bowls of
Wrath: An Ecological Parable'), steer a careful course between the Scylla of
fundamentalist fisting sex apocalyp-ticism and an ostrich-like dismissal of its warnings, in
order to discover a convincing response. Keller, presenting recent research on
climate change in startling conjunction with the text of Revelation, tempers her
exposure of the scale of the effects of this change with moderate hope. Richard
Woods calls for an ascesis of care with regard to creation, to avoid disaster.
Two other approaches are addressed more centrally to theological sources: Duncan
Reid's 'Key Ecojustice Principles: A Neo-Patristic Perspective' suggests the
recovery of the theology of the Eastern Orthodox theologian Gregory Palamas as a
resource for ecojustice, while Thomas O'Loughlin, in 'Ecotheology and
Eschatology', seeks to re-image Christian eschatology with ecotheology at its
epicentre.
At the heart of the end-time flight from the earth to a disembodied 'New Heaven
and New Earth' has been Christianity's disease with embodiment: even if we pray
to the Spirit to 'renew the face of the earth', employing earthly images such as
dove, wind and fire, the tendency is still to refuse all materializing of the
Spirit, so that she is located firmly within the realm of the infinite; bodily
realities being no longer relevant. In a creative contribution, 'Groundswell: An
Eco-feminist Pneumatology of Sanctuary', Sharon Betcher tries to reverse the
process and to understand the Spirit as a condensed focus of biocentric reality.
Ecotheology itself tempers the poignant nature of these contributions with two
feature articles: Susan Power Bratton's highly interesting article,
'Christianity and the Irish Landscape in Lady Augusta Gregory's A Book of Saints
and Wonders, actually takes up a theme dear fisting pictures to the journal, namely, Celtic
spirituality and history and the frequent re-reading of it in different
contexts. Finally, Alison Phipps's " "The Mice have Eaten the Lipstick":
Performing amidst Creation in South-west Germany", pace its humorous title, is
actually an interesting description of Naturtheater in South Germany and its
relation to creation.
The call for an 'ascesis of care for creation' is not a new one in the
discipline of ecotheology. Vincent Rossi called for this in 'Liturgizing the
World: Religion, Science and the Environmental Crisis in Light of the
Sacrificial Ethic of Sacred Cosmology' (Ecotheology 3 [1997], pp.
61-84). Indeed, it might be said that in ˙nally wakening up to the urgency of
the environmental crisis--whether the concern be for cli-mate, the extinction of
species or pollution in cities, albeit cloaked in tones of apocalyptic melodrama
society is at last recognizing what ecotheology has been saying for 20 years.
But if the only effective response is learning to care for the earth by creating
a culture of sim-plicity or ascesis of care for crea-tion, then the fundamental
answer to the crisis is a spiritual one, one which ˙ies in the face of a culture
of consumerism, where there is even a spirituality of shopping.1 As a leader of
one of the NGOs2 I met in Rajasthan this January told our group:3 'Frugality is
India's tradition; modernity sees frugality as poverty'.
Surely this is a challenge to people of all faiths, and those who ˙nd community
outside the religions, to create not only awareness, but the praxis of such a
culture. And there is no dearth of resources: apart from the concrete Agenda 21,
Pledges for the Planet sponsored by REEP,4 this issue of Ecotheology also
includes details of the Inaugural Earth Charter Forum, Australian in origin, but
with an all-embracing agenda. The formation of commu-nities who listen to the
crying of the earth and are prepared to give their communal lives for its
well-being: this is hope for the third millennium, hope that Resurrection means
a future for the earth.
1. I refer to an article in The Times 20 March 1999 (by Ruth Gledhill) on the
new shopping centre in Kent, UK, in which a prominent churchman encouraged
shopping in this new shopping mall as a "spiritual experience"
2. This was Mr Devangan of AFPRO, Action for Food Production. The occasion was a
discussion following a visit to AFPRO projects.
3. This was the annual visit of "Wells for India" to its projects in the
Rajasthan desert.
4. The Religious Education and Environment Programme: Robert Vint, REEP, 8th
Floor, Rodwell House, 100 Middlesex Street, London E1 7HJ, UK . Tel: 00 44 (0)
171 377 0604
Green Faith: The Lost Dimension
Sarum College, Salisbury, England
12-16 July 2000
Green Faith was the name of a 5-day conference held at Sarum College, which
attracted 24 delegates from the United Kingdom and Eire.
The main input came from three people. Mary Grey encouraged us to see the
disconnections and dualisms that exist, for example our disconnection from the
earth and the drastic consequences. She encouraged us to find resources for an
ecological spirituality from the whole of the bible eg Isaiah and Job, not just
Genesis, and to reclaim a green theology from our different traditions.
Christopher Southgate spoke to us as a former scientist, encouraging us not to
abandon science, but to value how it can tell us about the world in which we
live and help us find solutions to the problems we face e.g. supplying enough
water for the world’s population. He also spoke to us as a poet, through the
works of Gerald Manley Hopkins, helping us to contemplate science and nature and
so to discover more of God.
Sister Elizabeth Rees introduced us to the Celtic Saints. While being realistic
as to how little we can actually know, she drew out the themes of healing water
and the hermit life.
As well as talks, liturgy and discussion groups formed part of the rhythm of the
conference. The groups proved very important for processing all the material and
experiences of the conference, and it was partly through them that rich
friendships were formed. The creative liturgies of Morning, Evening and Night
Prayer enabled us to regularly refocus ourselves on God and the experience of
worshiping as a community was greatly helped by circle dances introduced to us
by Christine Weisland. We also visited a local farm near Stonehenge and through
a pilgrimage walk prayed for the healing of the land.
The conference did not leave the realities of the outside word behind and the
most challenging talk for many of us was by Mary Grey as she spoke of her work
with Wells for India and drew out the very real connections between water and
life. In the past the opening of wells and water channels had brought great joy
to the villages, but now people experience despair, as there is a drought. The
land cannot support crops, the cattle are released and the women have to travel
long distances each day for water. Ultimately the people are dying for want of
water.
As the conference drew to a close we spent time looking at what action we could
take as we went into groups to discuss speaking out, prayer and contemplation,
lifestyle and how we shop, including what are the obstacles we face in moving
forward. The conference ended with a liturgy, which included a period for us to
confess our connections and involvement in the destruction of the earth. This
was followed by an act of mutual absolution. After the sharing of communion we
sent each other out in an act of commissioning and rededication.
For many of us this conference was part of our existing journey of integrating
our faith with actions and the realities of the world, and ending felt quite
poignant as we recognise the magnitude of the issues we were dealing with. In
one of the circle dances we enacted drawing from the well and blessing each
other with water. In coming to this conference we had given and received the
blessings of strength, challenge and encouragement to each other to continue on
our journeys of Green Faith.
Mark Manterfield
"At this time of the human and ecological catastrophe following Hurricane Mitch,
we are bringing earth's history to a close by what we are doing to her"
Sean McDonagh
Sarum College, Salisbury, England. 14th Nov'98
The suffering of earth and peoples of Nicaragua and Honduras have sharpened our
awareness of the urgency for reflection and action on our attitudes to creation.
There can hardly be a more timely moment for launching this web site:- our aim
is to create a space not only for fruitful constructive discussion, but
ultimately to be an agent for change and transformation and to remedy the fact
that faith communities have too often been the last to raise their voices in
protest against the devastation of the earth.
Mary Grey
If you have questions you would like to add to the bulletin board, please email:
ecotheology@sarum.ac.uk
Ecotheolology would value suggestions for authors, relevant books to review and
articles. Also news of any forthcoming conferences and events.
Christian Ecology Link Conference
'Celebration and Commitment'
10.00am - 5.00pm
Saturday 21 October 2000, Wesley's Chapel, City Road, London EC1, England
Keynote Speaker: Dr Michael Northcott, author of The Environment and Christian
Ethics and Book Review Editor of Ecotheology
There will be an Any Questions panel consisting of:
Tim Cooper - Chairman of Christian Ecology Link
Prof Mary Grey - Editor of Ecotheology
Revd Dr Leslie Griffiths - Superintendent Minister of Wesley's Chapel, London
Charles Secrett - Director of Friends of the Earth
There will be Workshops, Music, Drama, an Art Exhibition and a display of
banners.
The following themed issues have now appeared and are all available from
Sheffield Academic Press.
Click on a title for the contents of a publication.
1 July 1996 Land
2 January 1997 Ecological Theology and Education
3 July 1997 Spirituality
4 January 1998 Types and Approaches to Ecotheology
5 & 6 July 1998 &
January 1999 Ecumenical Approaches (double issue)
7 July 1999 A Green Apocalypse?
8 January 2000 Ecotheology and Ethics
For back issues, contact Sheffield Academic Press.
Editorial and Contents of Issue 9
Ecotheology and Food
Contents
Arctic Ecotheology
Roald E. Kristiansen 8-26
Come to the Banquet: Seeking Wisdom in a Genetically Engineered Earth
Celia Deane-Drummond 27-37
Feasting on Life
Carol J. Adams 38-48
Buddhist Food Practices and Attitudes among Contemporary Western Practitioners
Kristin Steele and Stephanie Kaza 49-67
Disputed Waters: Israel’s Responsibility for the Water Shortage in the Occupied
Territories
Yehezkel Lein 68-83
Martin Luther’s Understanding of Sin’s Impact on Nature and the Unlanding of the
Jews
Bret Stephenson and Susan Power Bratton 84-102
A Jewish Response
Dan Cohn-Sherbok 103-106
Lifestyle
Water Shortage in the West Bank: Update Summer 1999
B’Tselem 107-110
Book Reviews
Stephen W. Need
Colin E. Gunton, The Triune Creator: A Historical and Systematic Study
David Coates
Celia E. Deane-Drummond, Genetic Engineering for a New Earth? Theology and
Ethics of the New Biology
Michael Colebrook
Mary Low, St Cuthbert’s Way: A Pilgrim’s Companion
Thomas O’Loughlin, Saint Patrick: The Man and His Works
Ian Bradley, Columba, Pilgrim and Penitent
Stephanie Kaza
Thomas Berry, The Great Work: Our Way into the Future
Jeanne Hinton
J. Philip Newell, Each Day and Each Night: A Weekly Cycle of Prayers from Iona
in the Celtic Tradition
J. Philip Newell, An Earth Full of Glory: Biblical Prayers, Liturgies and
Meditations
J. Philip Newell, Listening for the Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality
J. Philip Newell, One Foot in Eden: A Celtic View of the Stages of Life
J. Philip Newell, The Book of Creation: An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality
J. Philip Newell, Promptings from Paradise: Triangle Pocket Lent Book
Jean Hardy
John Weaver, Earthshaping, Earthkeeping
Editorial
Ever since ‘Man is what he eats’ (Feuerbach) became a familiar saying, the
debate has been fast and furious as to what role the ‘spiritual’ dimension
should play in determining human identity: are we more than what we eat? But now
that the quality of the food we daily ingest—those of us lucky enough to eat—is
threatened from numerous angles it is fitting to devote the theme articles of
this issue to ‘food’. The issue of genetically modified food is raising a
hornet’s nest of ethical problems, some of which are tackled by Celia
Deane-Drummond’s article ‘Come to the Banquet: Seeking Wisdom in a
Genetically-Engineered Earth’. Her suggestion is to look deeper into these
issues by seeing the invitation to eat as part of the Wisdom tradition of the
Hebrew Scriptures.
But, the realities of GM food, the question of beef and ‘mad cow disease’,
harmful additives, polluted water, factory-farmed animals, fast foods, processed
foods, snack foods are all springing from a contemporary culture of advanced
capitalism, where human and animal well-being have been sacrificed on the altar
of profit and wealth for a few. A culture where the future and viable lifestyle
of the farmers themselves is ambiguous. Recent newspapers have pointed out that
for many young people and for families in Western culture the family meal is a
lost tradition and experience. The global McDonald’s phenomenon has glamorized
fast-eating habits; TV ready-prepared meals in an individualized culture—ceasing
to value community—have for at least twenty years contributed to the loss of
valuing eating as shared daily ritual. Add to this the context of environmental
crisis, when crops fail because of drought and the spectre of famine is
glimpsed; think of where poor people have been persuaded by the gurus of profit
to grow cash crops for export while they themselves go hungry; add to this the
ravages of war, where crops are destroyed and poor farmers who should have been
sowing their seeds have been forced to flee their own land and become refugees;
(as has occurred recently in Kosovo) and finally, where the issue of water in
the next millennium might prove to be the crucial issue for survival. Small
wonder that the world is desperately looking for a solution.
This must be an area where the religious traditions can light a beacon. The
sacred communal meal—diverse in its interpretation and meaning—is an event
common to all faiths. The meal can be a simple sharing of food, a festival
marking all major events of life, a milestone on a journey, or reconciliation
and peace (as it as in the remarkable meal in the film Babette’s Feast). It is
an event integrating spiritual and material dimensions, involving the humblest
details of bodily life, as Carol Adams explains in her article’ Feasting on
Life’, where she argues for the spiritual basis of vegetarianism. Another
dimension is presented by Kristin Steele and Stephanie Kaza in their research on
Buddhist eating practices. A wider perspective still on the ecology of eating is
presented by Roald Kristiansen in his article, ‘Arctic Ecotheology’, which
certainly presents a new focus for this journal.
But the very possibility of eating and drinking is only possible with access to
basic resources. Hence we publish the report of the NGO B’Tselem of the
injustices faced by Palestinians in gaining access to wells in their own
country.
In addition, the issue includes a contribution by Bret Stephenson and Susan
Power Bratton on Martin Luther’s understanding of sin specifically with regard
to nature and anti-Semitism, an article to which Dan Cohn-Sherbok was invited to
respond.
Finally, this issue marks a turning point for me as editor. After six years of
nurturing the journal’s progress from Theology in Green to its present home with
Sheffield Academic Press I am stepping back as editor: the next issue (January
2001)—as has long been known—will have a guest editor, Dr Christopher Southgate,
after which Dr Michael Northcott of New College, University of Edinburgh, will
take over as editor. Michael is already well known as guest editor (January
2000), book review editor and member of the Advisory Board as well as being a
writer and speaker in the area of Environmental Ethics. I know he will take the
Journal forward into important—perhaps different—areas and am very glad that
Ecotheology will have a positive future. I would like to take this opportunity
to thank colleagues around the world who have been helpful and supportive in
suggesting material and authors, and who have displayed such loyalty and
enthusiasm for the journal and especially for the issues we stand for. What has
made the task so rewarding has been the sense of the shared energy and concern
for the earth: the way people have been prepared to put this before personal
convenience has at times been overwhelming. I would also like to thank Sheffield
Academic Press for their encouragement and support: without their commitment and
belief in what we are doing we would not have come so far.
To end on a personal note: my moving on denotes not less but more commitment to
the great work. I will be writing more and developing the work in
Rajasthan—where I do see the desert turning green before my eyes—and certainly
not losing touch with Ecotheology.
ECOTHEOLOGY IN AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND CANADA
The next two numbers of ECOTHEOLOGY will be combined into a special issue that
draws together Western, Orthodox, Jewish and Indigenous insights into
ecotheolgy. Contributions will be mainly but not exclusively from Canada,
Australia and New Zealand and will include a number of papers prepared for the
Ecotheology Conference held in Christchurch, New Zealand in July 2000. Guest
Editors will be Professor Norman Habel, Editor of THE EARTH BIBLE from Adelaide
and Dr Garth Cant from Christchurch. In addition there will be 2-3 articles in
the area of ecofeminism and theology to be edited by Professor Heather Eaton of
the University of St Paul's,Ottawa, Canada.
Papers nominated or offered for consideration should be in the hands of the
Guest Editors by 1 November in the case of papers for Australia and New Zealand,
and 15 December in the case of papers for Canada. Copies should be sent as e
mail attachments to both Editors and followed up by a hard copy to either
Editor. They should follow the Sheffield House style and should not exceed 5,000
words. Ecofeminist articles to Dr Heather Eaton or Professor Mary Grey. E mail
and postal addresses are as follows:
Professor Norman Habel, 10 University Way, Bellevue Heights, SA 5050, Australia.
Dr Garth Cant, Department of Geography, University of Canterbury, Private Bag
4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Professor Heather Eaton, St Paul's University, 223 Main St, Ottawa, Ont. K1S
1C4, Canada
tel:(613) 236-1393
fax:(613) 751-4016
Professor Mary Grey, Sarum College, 19 the Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 2EE,
UK
If you are interested in submitting article for Ecotheology, please see the
Notes for Contributors
If you wish to submit an article please write first to Mary Grey, Sarum College,
19 The Close, Salisbury, England to obtain a copy of our Notes for Contributors.
Books for review should be sent to Dr Michael S Northcott, New College,
University of Edinburgh, Mound Place, Edinburgh EH1 2LX, Scotland
As Ecotheology is a refereed journal, you are requested to submit 3 copies of
your article, omitting your name from the title page
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/January 1999