Living with Other Creatures: Green Exegesis and Theology

by Richard Bauckham

Overview

The Bible and Christian tradition have, at best, offered an ambiguous word in response to Earth's environmental difficulties. At worst, a complex, often one-sided history of interpretation has left the Bible's voice silent. Aiming to bridge these gaps, Richard Bauckham mines scripture and theology, discovering a firm command for Christians to care for all of God's creation and then discusses the generations of theologians who have sought to live out this biblical mandate. Going beyond Old Testament human dominion, Living with Other Creatures consults scripture in its entirety and includes Jesus' perspectives on creation, novel approaches to reading the gospels, and some of the most well known "ecologists" throughout Christian history. The result is an innovative and enriching treatise that reminds readers of God's whole creation—and humanity's place within it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781602584112
Publisher:	Baylor University Press
Publication date:	11/01/2011
Pages:	270
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Richard Bauckham is a fellow of the British Academy and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is the author of several books, including The Bible and Ecology: Rediscovering the Community of Creation and J esus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, winner of the 2009 Michael Ramsey Prize for Theological Writing.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations vii

Preface xi

1 The Human Place in Creation-a Biblical Overview 1

2 Dominion Interpreted-a Historical Account 14

3 Reading the Synoptic Gospels Ecologically 63

4 Jesus and Animals 79

5 Jesus and the Wild Animals in the Wilderness (Mark 1:13) 111

6 Reading the Sermon on the Mount in an Age of Ecological Catastrophe 133

7 Joining Creation's Praise of God 147

8 Creation's Praise of God in the Book of Revelation 163

9 Creation Mysticism in Matthew Fox and Francis of Assisi 185

10 Biodiversity-a Biblical-Theological Perspective 213

Bibliography 233

Index of Authors 248

Index of Ancient and Medieval Persons 253

Details of Previous Publication 255

What People are Saying About This

Roger S. Gottlieb

Filled with intelligence and serious scholarship, Living with Other Creatures carries a deeply important message. A very valuable contribution.

David P. Gushee

A significant biblical, theological, and historical resource for the desperately needed 'greening' of the Christian faith. Bauckham's collection deserves very wide attention.

Barbara Rossing

In this exciting volume, Bauckham weaves together Jesus' teaching of the kingdom of God, the Jewish traditions of animal compassion, St. Francis, the Apocalypse, and Christian mystics to make the case that creation's praise of God—independent of humans—is foundational to the Christian tradition. The result is an important, highly recommended reading of the biblical mandate for ethical engagement in today's ecological crises.

Editorial Reviews

... a tremendous amount of value in these essays.

Review of Biblical Literature - Phillip Sherman

… a fine supplementary text in seminaries and graduate level classes.

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society - Christina Richie

[Bauckham's] mature reflection has resulted in a book that is exegetically and theologically rewarding.

The Christian Century - Beverly Roberts Gaventa

[Bauckham] aptly demonstrates that humanity is causing an ecological catastrophe that has been predicated on theological convictions. For this crisis to be remedied, it is necessary for Christians to shift their ecological outlook.

Theological Book Review - Nick Elder

Bauckham reminds the reader that, as Creator, God delights in and cares for all creation.... He wishes to recover the biblical view of human solidarity with the rest of creation by establishing creation's own inherent value. (Five-star review)

Christianity Today - Bill Walker

… contributes toward opening exegetical and theological vistas that have previously been closed.

Stone-Campbell Journal - J. David Stark

"A significant biblical, theological, and historical resource for the desperately needed 'greening' of the Christian faith. Bauckham's collection deserves very wide attention."
--David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics and Director, Center for Theology and Public Life, Mercer University

"Filled with intelligence and serious scholarship, Living with Other Creatures carries a deeply important message. A very valuable contribution."
--Roger S. Gottlieb, author of Engaging Voices: Tales of Morality and Meaning in an Age of Global Warming and A Greener Faith

"In this exciting volume, Bauckham weaves together Jesus' teaching of the kingdom of God, the Jewish traditions of animal compassion, St. Francis, the Apocalypse, and Christian mystics to make the case that creation's praise of God--independent of humans--is foundational to the Christian tradition. The result is an important, highly recommended reading of the biblical mandate for ethical engagement in today's ecological crises."
--Barbara Rossing, Professor of New Testament, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and author of The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation

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