Religion and Ecology in the Public Sphere

Religion and Ecology in the Public Sphere

This collection of essays brings to the surface vital dimensions in the in the engagement between religion and ecology. The authors are aware of both the political urgency, but also the need to delve into a variety of diverse traditions in order to resource such a task, namely, what might religious traditions contribute to ecological debates? A core issue addressed here is how contemporary theology might become public theology, one that is deeply relevant to the particular problems and issues of today. This then raises important theoretical questions about how theology might engage with politics. The diverse methodological approaches possible within Christian theology are represented in this collection, including those drawing on particular traditions such as Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Reformed theology, through to self consciously contextual approaches in liberation, African and Feminist discourse.

Contents

Acknowledgements/List of Contributors/Introduction, Celia Deane-Drummond and Heinrich Bedford Strohm/The Baltic Sea as a Case Study: The Ecological and Political Challenges of the Baltic Sea, Erik Bonsdorff/Part I: Concepts of Religion in the Public Sphere/Chapter 1: Who Shall Speak for the Environment? Translating Religious, Scientific, Economic, and Political Regimes of Power and Knowledge in a Globalized Society, Peter Beyer/Chapter 2: Public Theology of Ecology and Civil Society, Heinrich Bedford-Strohm/Chapter 3: Right Out of Time? Politics and Nature in a Postnatural Condition, Peter Manley Scott/Chapter 4: Climate Change and the (Economic) Value of Nature - The Role of Economic Thinking in the Public Sphere, Hans Diefenbacher/Part II: Contextual Approaches/Chapter 5: Latin American Liberation Theologians's Turn to Eco(theo)logy - Critical Remarks,
Elina Vuola/Chapter 6: Geology vs. Theology? Uranium Prospecting and Theological Arguments in Northern Carelia 2006-2009, Pauliina Kainulainen/
Chapter 7: Towards An African Inculturated Sophiology: The Case of African Wisdom Tradition from Myths for Ecological Concerns, Loreen Maseno/Part III: Towards Public Theologies of Nature/Chapter 8: Environmental Amnesia or the Memory of Place?The Need for Local Ethics of Memory in a Philosophical Theology of Place, Forrest Clingerman/Chapter 9: Public Theology as a Substantial Contribution to an Ecumenical and Ecological Culture, Daniel Munteanu/Chapter 10: Public Theology as Contested Ground: Arguments for Climate Justice, Celia Deane-Drummond/Bibliography/Index