Description
Book SynopsisThe book is the first of its kind to draw together in conversation the views of the early Church, contemporary biblical and theological scholarship, and post-conciliar teachings. Steck develops a comprehensive, Catholic theology of animals based on an in-depth exploration of Catholicism's fundamental doctrines—trinitarian theology, Christology, pneumatology, eschatology, and soteriology. All God's Animals makes two central claims. First, we can hope that God will include animals of the present age in the kingdom inaugurated by Christ. Second, because of this inclusion, our responses to animals should be guided by the values of the kingdom. As Christians await the final liberation of all creation, they are to be witnesses to God’s kingdom by embodying its ideals in their relations with animal life. Because the kingdom's fullness is yet to come and because our world remains marked by the wounds of sin, however, Christian treatment of animals will at times require acts that are at odds with the kingdom’s ideals (for example, those causing suffering and death). Steck examines each of these ideas and explores all of their complexities.
Trade ReviewThe book will be an important touchpoint for scholars following the interchange between animal studies and Christian theology, especially as that conversation pertains to ecological theology. * Theological Studies *
Table of ContentsIntroductionAnimals as Fellow Creatures of the Covenant Chapter 1Tradition: Learning to See Animals Chapter 2Creation: The Imago Dei and a Covenantal Anthropocentrism Chapter 3Redemption: The Divine Magis and Animals Chapter 4Santification: The Spirit's Cosmic Embrace Chapter 5Ethics: Ministers of the Eschatological Covenant Bibliography Index About the Author
