Living with Other Creatures: Green Exegesis and Theology

by Richard Bauckham

Overview

Richard Bauckham offers a fresh approach to the relationship between humanity and creation and our responsibility before God to steward wisely.

The volume offers fresh, often innovative approaches to a wide range of the issues that arise in relating the Bible and Christian theology to the ecological concerns of our contemporary world. It aims to show that the Bible has far more of relevance to say on the subject than is commonly supposed. While focusing especially on biblical material, it also engages Francis of Assisi, modernnature poetry, Matthew Fox and the history of interpretation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781842277409
Publisher:	Paternoster (Print on Demand)
Publication date:	09/01/2011
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.57(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Professor Richard Bauckham (Ph.D. Cambridge; D.D, F.B.A, F.R.S.E., ) is Senior Scholar at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, he was professor of New Testament studies and Bishop Wardlaw Professor at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. He is a fellow of both the British Academy and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Prof. Bauckham has published widely in theology, historical theology and New Testament. He is currently working on New Testament Christology and the Gospel of John. Prof. Bauckham's originality in defending both the historical Jesus and his divine identity has set a new standard in the academic world, most notably in his groundbreaking publications Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony and Jesus and the God of Israel: ""God Crucified"" and Other Essays on the New Testament's Christology of Divine Identity After his acclaimed and award winning commentary on Jude, 2 Peter (Word Biblical Commentary) and his interest in the Gospel of John, the arrival of his The Gospel of John in both the New International Greek New Testament Commentary and in Two Horizons New Testament Commentary Series, as well as edited works on John, The Gospel of John and Christian Theology and The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple: Narrative, History, and Theology in the Gospel of John, along with his volume on The Gospel of Luke (International Critical Commentary series) is much anticipated. His other published works cover a wide scope such as Jurgen Moltmann, James and Jude the brothers of Jesus, Gospel Woman, Mission, the Bible and Politics, Apocalyptic and Eschatology in the Tudor Period, the Book of Revelation, and the Christian Hope. Most recently he has published Living with other Creatures: Green Exegesis and Theology; The Jewish World around the New Testament; The Bible and Ecology: Rediscovering the Community of Creation (Sarum Theological Lectures)and Jesus: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

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

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.

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

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

Stone-Campbell Journal - J. David Stark

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

Review of Biblical Literature - Phillip Sherman

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

[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

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

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society - Christina Richie

"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

From the Publisher