Creation as Sacrament: Reflections on Ecology and Spirituality

by John Chryssavgis

Overview

John Chryssavgis explores the sacred dimension of the natural environment, and the significance of creation in the rich theological history and spiritual classics of the Orthodox Church, through the lens of its unique ascetical, liturgical and mystical experience.

The global ecological crisis affecting humanity's air, water, and land, as well as the planet's flora and fauna, has resulted in manifest fissures on the image of God in creation. Chryssavgis examines, from an Orthodox Christian perspective, the possibility of restoring that shattered image through the sacramental lenses of cosmic transfiguration, cosmic interconnection, and cosmic reconciliation. The viewpoints of early theologians and contemporary thinkers are extensively explored from a theological and spiritual perspective, including countering those who deny that God's creation is in crisis. Presenting a worldview advanced and championed by the Orthodox Church in the modern world, this book encourages personal and societal transformation in making ethical and economic choices that respect creation as sacrament.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780567680723
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	06/27/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

John Chryssavgis is Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and theological advisor to the “green patriarch” Bartholomew. He studied in Athens and Oxford, and taught in Sydney and Boston. He lives in Harpswell, Maine, USA.
John Chryssavgis is Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and theological advisor to the “green patriarch” Bartholomew. He studied in Athens and Oxford, and taught in Sydney and Boston. He lives in Harpswell, Maine, USA.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Foreword
Introduction: Restoring the Shattered Image of the World
Section I: Theory and Theology
1. The Lens of Grace: Reintegrating the Sacred and the Profane
2. Transcendence and Immanence: Ancient Concepts for a Modern Crisis
3. The Desert is Alive: The Sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers
4. Divine Sophia: The Wisdom of the Word and Beauty of the World
5. Ecology and Mystery: Creation as Sacrament
Section II: Principles and Practices
6. On Earth as in Heaven: Cardinal Symbols and Values
7. Living Cosmology: Creation in Faith and Science
8. Responding to Denial and Disdain: The Devil's Advocate, Part 1
9. Asking the Right Questions: The Devil's Advocate, Part 2
10. The Green Patriarch: A Contemporary Worldview and Witness
Conclusion: The Way Forward
Original Sources
Further Reading
Index

Editorial Reviews

"[Creation as Sacrament] should be read by everyone – undergraduate student, graduate student, scholar, layperson, and scientist – who hopes to effect the 'revolutionary reformation' that leads to reconciliation, transfiguration, and resurrection." - Modern Theology

"Chryssavgis offers a welcome and teachable text in ecospirituality and sacramental imagination." - Reading Religion

“This collection of essays is an engaging and accessible introduction to Eastern Orthodox ecotheological spirituality by a leading theologian.” - Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology

“In this timely book, John Chryssavgis offers a sacramental account of the natural world as a creation that finds it true identity in Christ as the body of Christ. It is rare to find a book that is attentive to the sciences, theologically rich, and able to speak practically to some of the major challenges that we are currently facing in this world. Creation as Sacrament succeeds on all these fronts and should have pride of place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the doctrine of creation. There is no question in my mind that this is one of the best books available on theology and ecology.” —Andrew Torrance, University of St. Andrews, UK; co-editor of Knowing Creation: Perspectives from Theology, Philosophy and Science

“It is difficult in a few lines to do justice to this beautifully written and inspirational book. The author weaves together a rich tapestry of ideas on the theme of creation as sacrament drawn from Orthodox traditions and practices in a way that can inspire real hope in the transfiguration of the shattered image of the world around us. The reader is taken into a profound recognition of different aspects of the mystery of divine revelation that is both revealed and concealed at the same time. The frank acknowledgement of human sin sits alongside a call to asceticism and gratitude. This is not just about promoting a change in attitude to ecological responsibility in the light of scientific knowledge, but a vision of the church that is both ancient but fresh in its relevance for our world today. This is theological writing at its best: profound, informed, inspiring and relevant, not just for those in the Orthodox Church, but for many others as well.” —Celia Deane-Drummond, University of Notre Dame, USA; author of A Primer in Ecotheology: Theology for a Fragile Earth

“Long before the current ecological crisis, the theology of Eastern Christianity had developed a sophisticated and harmonious picture of the interweaving of spiritual and material reality in a universe animated at every point by the radiant, creative agency of God. For human beings to flourish as God intends, they need to learn how to see and attend to this mystery; the contemplation of the divine can grow in us only as we learn to recognise this uncreated act as reflected in all we encounter. John Chryssavgis has played a major role in articulating the resources of Orthodox theology in tackling our environmental catastrophe, and this excellent book could not be more timely as we seek for a spirituality that will genuinely transform our sinful and mindless ravaging of God's world.” —Dr. Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury and currently Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, UK; author of Christ, The Heart of Creation

“John Chyrssavgis's capacious, reflective book is a wonderful, rigorous, and accessible meditation on ecological theology as intrinsic to Orthodox Christian thought and practice over the centuries. His theological finesse is unique and unparalleled in mediating Orthodox thought between the currents of contemporary environmentalism and theological shoals of the past. Readers of all levels will benefit from his reflections on how transfiguration, sacrament, and spirituality in Orthodox theology resist any blithe, firm distinctions between humans and nature. Eminently readable and assignable, this text is also guaranteed to become a staple in courses on Christian ecotheology.” —Christiana Zenner, Fordham University, USA; author of Just Water: Theology, Ethics, and the Global Water Crisis

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