Earth at Risk: An Environmental Dialogue Between Religion and Science - Hardcover

Petersen, Rodney Lawrence

9781573928175: Earth at Risk: An Environmental Dialogue Between Religion and Science

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1573928178 ISBN 13: 9781573928175

Publisher: Humanity Books, 2000

The articles in this volume are focused on the challenge of rethinking Christian theology in relation to a just and sustainable society. Although based within a Christian context, Earth at Risk includes representative voices from Jewish, Muslim, and secular perspectives as well as from the scientific and environmental communities, including distinguished physicist and theologian Ian Barbour, the 1999 winner of the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion.

Though offering different perspectives, the contributors are united in a common conception of our ecological predicament, which is shaped by the growing population demands on our planet and exacerbated by a consumerism that can be exploitative and heedless of the species extinction that accompanies general environmental degradation. The ethical response from the religious and secular communities is clear: In order to deal equitably with the ecological crisis we require patterns of education, ministerial formation, and community life that assume deeper relational commitments to all forms of life.

The main thematic sections include: Science in Dialogue with Religion; Religion Caring for Creation; Ethics, Community, and Environmental Justice; and Strategies for Education, Ministry, and Building Sustainable Communities.

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From the Inside Flap:

As the new millennium dawns, humanity faces the threat of an unmitigated ecological disaster. At first glance, science and religion may seem to be antithetical avenues for solving our many environmental crises: religion views science as lacking ethical direction, while science regards religion as lacking an empirical foundation for understanding the environment. However, neither science nor religion, when viewed separately, are adequate to address the serious global threats to the earth's ecosystems. In this modern age of globalization, scientific advances, technological growth, and trade, an interdisciplinary discussion is needed if all interested parties are to cooperate to resolve problems that effect everyone. Whether or not the earth will continue to sustain life is a question that requires an intimate dialogue between both science and religion.

It is within the context of this newly emerging dialogue that theologians Donald B. Conroy and Rodney L. Petersen present this essential collection of essays, which focuses on the challenge of rethinking theology in relation to a just and sustainable society. In addition to exploring such issues as environmental limits, ozone depletion, and global warming, the authors raise such questions as: What is the relationship between environmental ethics and cultural diversity? If we are aware of the current environmental crisis, why are we unable to act more forthrightly in dealing with these issues? How does the new dialogue between religion and science affect our hope for the future of humanity and life on our planet?

This collection brings together a broad spectrum of authors from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, including Susan Power Bratton, Richard J. Clifford, Richard M. Clugston, Paula Gonzalez, Roger S. Gottlieb, Ian Hutchinson, Charles J. Puccia, Larry Rasmussen, Michal Fox Smart, George Tinker, Timothy Weiskel, and distinguished physicist and theologian Ian Barbour, the 1999 winner of the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion and Science.

As we reach the earth's resource and population capacity limits, only an intense dialogue between science and religion will pave the way for real solutions. This timely volume lays the foundations for this long-needed discussion and newfound collaboration.

About the Author:

Donald B. Conroy is president of the North American Coalition on Religion and Ecology in Washington, D.C.

Rodney L. Petersen is the executive director of the Boston Theological Institute and an adjunct professor in the Member Schools, Newton Centre, Massachusetts.

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