Description
Book SynopsisThis book was written during the lockdown caused by the Covid crisis: streets were emptied, churches closed down, and all of a sudden we began to hear the sounds of nature. A new relationship with nature developed in which new questions arose: is God present in nature? Is communion with God in nature possible? Is there a relationship between the God of creation, the God of history and the God we worship in Sunday liturgies.
This book seeks to explore some of these questions by going back to the Bible. In the Old Testament it discovers texts that talk about Nature praising God. In the Christian tradition it shows that nature is understood as a living community, is graced by God, and has a sacramental character to it.
More particularly the Incarnation of the Word made flesh in Jesus is of profound significance for a new understanding of nature and the way we worship. The Incarnation reveals the integrity of nature, the sacred character of the natural world and the presence of some form of ‘interiority’ in the life of nature
An awareness of nature praising God stands out as a rebuke of humanity’s self-absorption at the expense of other creatures, a critique of a man-centred view of liturgy, and an invitation to join the cosmic choir in giving glory to God .
The overall result of these explorations is the outline of a new theology of nature praising God, with lessons for the way we worship God in our churches today.
Trade Review‘an awfully good book, written with verve, challenge, coherence, clarity and zeal.’
* Catholic South West *
'a book which sparkles with delightful thoughts inspired both by nature and by humanity.'
* The Irish Catholic *
‘a slim volume, but its content is massive...there is spiritual gold there. It would be well-used by prayer groups, by scripture study gatherings, by sacramental and liturgy preparation groups’.
* Independent Catholic News *
‘a well-researched and very valuable work...makes a rich contribution towards bridging the disconnect between our faith and our modern scientific knowledge’
* Spirituality journal *
‘an important and accessible book in which the arguments and clearly and logically presented.; An excellent read and great material for a parish study group.’
* Search Journal *
‘clear and readable, a stimulating book. It should help awareness of the need to give Nature its due place in the way our liturgies praise God.’
* Conversations journal *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ................................................................. 7
Foreword: Margaret Daly-Denton ............................................. 9
Chapter 1
Retrieving a Lost Conversation..........................................13
a. A Sample of Texts on Nature Praising God............................... 13
b. A Note on the Personification of Nature................................... 19
Chapter 2
Biblical Commentators on Nature Praising God.............. 21
a. Terrence E. Fretheim’s Pioneering Contribution........................ 22
b. Richard Bauckham’s Distinctive Vision..................................... 23
c. David G. Horrell’s Constructive Critique.................................. 25
d. Mark Harris’s Call for a New Theology of Nature..................... 29
Chapter 3
Theological Commentators on Nature Praising God ......33
a. Thomas Berry............................................................................. 34
b. Elizabeth A. Johnson................................................................. 36
c. Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home......................... 38
d. A Retrospective on This Debate................................................ 41
Chapter 4
Towards
a New Narrative about Nature ........................... 44
a. Nature as a Living Community.................................................. 44
b. Nature as Grace-Filled............................................................... 47
c. Nature as a Book........................................................................ 51
d. Nature as Sacramental............................................................... 53
Chapter 5
A Nature-Based Pneumatology ..........................................56
a. Neglect of the Spirit................................................................... 57
b. The Spirit in the Hebrew Bible.................................................. 62
c. Mark Wallace on the Spirit........................................................ 66
Chapter 6
A Nature-Based Christology ..............................................71
a. From the Quest for the Historical Jesus to the
Quest for the Cosmic Christ...................................................... 72
b. The Coming Reign of God and the Renewal of Creation.......... 74
c. Overview of the Incarnation...................................................... 77
d. From Incarnation to Deep Incarnation...................................... 79
e. From Deep Incarnation to a New Theology of Nature
as Subject and Agent.................................................................. 86
Chapter 7
Integrating a Theology of Creation in the Service
of Liturgy ..............................................................................92
a. Retrieving the Theology ‘Creation out of Nothing’.................... 94
b. Continuous Creation................................................................. 97
c. The Promise of a New Creation................................................. 97
d. The Link between ‘Creation out of Nothing’ and Prayer.......... 100
Epilogue: Gathering Up the Fragments: Towards a
Theology of Creation Praising God .................................105
1. The Qualities of Nature as a Subject......................................... 106
2. The Implications of Nature as a Subject Praising God.............. 107
Appendices
1. St Francis of Assisi (1181/82–1226) ‘The Canticle of
Creation’................................................................................... 109
2. Pope Francis ‘A Christian Prayer in Union with
Creation’................................................................................... 110
Select Bibliography ..............................................................113
Index ......................................................................................117
