Download or read book Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration written by John Chryssavgis and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 2013-06-03 with total page 509 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can Orthodox Christianity offer unique spiritual resources especially suited to the environmental concerns of today? This book makes the case that yes, it can. In addition to being the first substantial and comprehensive collection of essays, in any language, to address environmental issues from the Orthodox point of view, this volume with contributions from the most highly influential theologians and philosophers in contemporary world Orthodoxy will engage a wide audience, in academic as well as popular circles--resonating not only with Orthodox audiences but with all those in search of a fresh approach to environmental theory and ethics that can bring the resources of ancient spirituality to bear on modern challenges.
Download or read book Speaking the Truth in Love written by Bartholomew I (Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople) and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of the writings & statements of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, which challenges the taboos & controversies swirling within religious doctrine, addressing issues such as church unity, papal primacy & divisions within Christianity.
Download or read book On Earth as in Heaven written by Bartholomew I (Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople) and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As this new volume of his writings reveals, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has continually proclaimed the primacy of spiritual values in determining environmental ethics and action. For him, the predicament we face is not primarily ecological but in fact spiritual: The ultimate aim is to see all things in God, and God in all things.
Download or read book Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration written by John Chryssavgis and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 487 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can Orthodox Christianity offer spiritual resources uniquely suited to the environmental concerns of today? This book makes the case emphatically that it can indeed. In addition to being the first substantial and comprehensive collection of essays, in any language, to address environmental issues from the Orthodox point of view, this volume (with contributions from many of the most influential theologians and philosophers in contemporary world Orthodoxy) will engage a wide audience, in academic as well as popular circles--resonating not only with Orthodox audiences but with all those in search of a fresh approach to environmental theory and ethics that can bring to bear the resources of ancient spirituality, often virtually unknown in the West, on modern challenges and dilemmas.
Download or read book Living in God s Creation written by Elizabeth Theokritoff and published by St Vladimir's Seminary Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ecological vision of Orthodox Christianity portrays creation as God⿿s epiphany and the human person as a connecting link between creation and Creator. Christian love is manifest through "the right use of material things." With fresh wisdom and insight, Elizabeth Theokritoff draws on the Fathers, the liturgy, saints' lives, and modern sources to challenge both theologians and non-theologians to change the way they think. This is a compelling read.
Download or read book Creation as Sacrament written by John Chryssavgis and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-06-27 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book In the World Yet Not of the World written by Bartholomew I (Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople) and published by Orthodox Christianity and Cont. This book was released on 2010 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew speaks to a contemporary world about, human rights, religious tolerance, international peace, environmental protection, and more. In the World, Yet Not of the World represents a selection of major addresses and significant messages as well as public statements by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, "first among equals" and spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians. The Patriarch is as comfortable preaching about the spiritual legacy of the Orthodox Church as he is promoting sociopolitical issues of his immediate cultural environment and praying for respect toward Islam or for global peace. As the documents reveal, the tenure of the Ecumenical Patriarch has been characterized by inter-Orthodox cooperation, inter-Christian dialogue and interreligious understanding. He has traveled more extensively than any other Orthodox Patriarch in history, exchanging official visitations with numerous ecclesiastical and state dignitaries. In particular, because he is a citizen of Turkey and the leader of a Christian minority in a predominantly Muslim nation, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's personal experience endows him with a unique perspective on religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue. These documents are drawn from his prominent leadership roles as primary spiritual leader of the Orthodox Christian world and transnational figure of global significance - influential roles that become more vital each day. Published together here for the first time, the writings reveal the Ecumenical Patriarch as a bridge builder and peacemaker. One of his catchphrases is "War in the name of religion is war against religion." Over the past eighteen years, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's inclination and intention have been to address the most difficult issues facing the world-the deep and increasing mistrust between East and West, the decay and widening destruction of the natural environment, as well as the sharp divisions among the various Christian confessions and diverse faith communities-whether on religious, racial, or cultural levels. He regards being a servant of reconciliation as a primary obligation of his spiritual ministry to. This book reveals the powerful influence of a spiritual institution from the unique perspective of a Christian leader in the world, and yet not of the world. Some of the topics covered: o Faith and freedom o Racism and fundamentalism o Mutual respect and tolerance o Ecology and poverty o Human rights and freedom o Racial and religious discrimination o Church and state o Terrorism and corruption o Freedom of conscience o Europe, Turkey and the world o Religion and politics o Christians and Muslims o Christians and Jews
Download or read book The Noetics of Nature written by Bruce V. Foltz and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 2013-11-11 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contemplative or “noetic” knowledge has traditionally been seen as the highest mode of understanding, a view that persists both in many non-Western cultures and in Eastern Christianity, where “theoria physike,” or the illumined understanding of creation that follows the purification of the heart, is seen to provide deeper insights into nature than the discursive rationality modernity has used to dominate and conquer it. Working from texts in Eastern Orthodox philosophy and theology not widely known in the West, as well as a variety of sources including mystics such as the Sufi Ibn ‘Arabi, poets such as Basho, Traherne, Blake, Hölderlin, and Hopkins, and nature writers such as Muir, Thoreau, and Dillard, The Noetics of Nature challenges both the primacy of the natural sciences in environmental thought and the conventional view, first advanced by Lynn White, Jr., that Christian theology is somehow responsible for the environmental crisis. Instead, Foltz concludes that the ancient Christian view of creation as iconic—its “holy beauty” manifesting the divine energies and constituting a primal mode of divine revelation—offers the best prospect for the radical reversal that is needed in our relation to the natural environment.
Download or read book Orthodox Constructions of the West written by George E. Demacopoulos and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 2013-09-02 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The category of the “West” has played a particularly significant role in the modern Eastern Orthodox imagination. It has functioned as an absolute marker of difference from what is considered to be the essence of Orthodoxy and, thus, ironically has become a constitutive aspect of the modern Orthodox self. The essays collected in this volume examine the many factors that contributed to the “Eastern” construction of the “West” in order to understand why the “West” is so important to the Eastern Christian’s sense of self.
Download or read book Ecologies of Grace written by Willis Jenkins and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-02-12 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christianity struggles to show how living on earth matters for living with God. While people of faith increasingly seek practical ways to respond to the environmental crisis, theology has had difficulty contextualizing the crisis and interpreting the responses. In Ecologies of Grace, Willis Jenkins presents a field-shaping introduction to Christian environmental ethics that offers resources for renewing theology. Observing how religious environmental practices often draw on concepts of grace, Jenkins maps the way Christian environmental strategies draw from traditions of salvation as they engage the problems of environmental ethics. He then uses this new map to explore afresh the ecological dimensions of Christian theology. Jenkins first shows how Christian ethics uniquely frames environmental issues, and then how those approaches both challenge and reinhabit theological traditions. He identifies three major strategies for making environmental problems intelligible to Christian moral experience. Each one draws on a distinct pattern of grace as it adapts a secular approach to environmental ethics. The strategies of ecojustice, stewardship, and ecological spirituality make environments matter for Christian experience by drawing on patterns of sanctification, redemption, and deification. He then confronts the problems of each of these strategies through critical reappraisals of Thomas Aquinas, Karl Barth, and Sergei Bulgakov. Each represents a soteriological tradition which Jenkins explores as an ecology of grace, letting environmental questions guide investigation into how nature becomes significant for Christian experience. By being particularly sensitive to the ways in which environmental problems are made intelligible to Christian moral experience, Jenkins guides his readers toward a fuller understanding of Christianity and ecology. He not only makes sense of the variety of Christian environmental ethics, but by showing how environmental issues come to the heart of Christian experience, prepares fertile ground for theological renewal.
Download or read book Laudato Si written by Pope Francis and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This book was released on 2015-07-18 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward. Praise be to him!” – Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ In his second encyclical, Laudato Si’: On the Care of Our Common Home, Pope Francis draws all Christians into a dialogue with every person on the planet about our common home. We as human beings are united by the concern for our planet, and every living thing that dwells on it, especially the poorest and most vulnerable. Pope Francis’ letter joins the body of the Church’s social and moral teaching, draws on the best scientific research, providing the foundation for “the ethical and spiritual itinerary that follows.” Laudato Si’ outlines: The current state of our “common home” The Gospel message as seen through creation The human causes of the ecological crisis Ecology and the common good Pope Francis’ call to action for each of us Our Sunday Visitor has included discussion questions, making it perfect for individual or group study, leading all Catholics and Christians into a deeper understanding of the importance of this teaching.
Download or read book Living in an Icon written by Robert Gottfried and published by Church Publishing. This book was released on 2019-08-17 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Helps bridge the gap between love of God and love of nature. Many people experience God most strongly in nature but do not know how to incorporate this experience into their spiritual life. Others question whether Christianity has room for nature at all and seek alternatives elsewhere, often leaving Christianity entirely. This book addresses this crucial issue by providing a resource for fostering a closer relationship with God and creation. With a step-by-step approach, this book provides a framework integrating asceticism with the contemplation of nature. Each chapter contains a “take it home” section for applying the lessons learned outdoors to everyday life, connecting God and nature as seamless components of spirituality. Topics include gratitude, delight, appreciation, wonder, discernment, reverence, mortality, love, beauty, humility, silence, and hope.
Download or read book Beyond the Shattered Image written by John Chryssavgis and published by Light & Life Publishing Company. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents the full ecological significance of the Orthodox Christian worldview. It explores the deepest sense and experience of the world as a sacrament. Evokes some of the most beautiful and powerful theological thinking, with imagery that suggests a richness beyond expression. 2nd printing.
Download or read book The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Religion and Ecology written by John Hart and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2017-03-24 with total page 563 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the face of the current environmental crisis—which clearly has moral and spiritual dimensions—members of all the world’s faiths have come to recognize the critical importance of religion’s relationship to ecology. The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Religion and Ecology offers a comprehensive overview of the history and the latest developments in religious engagement with environmental issues throughout the world. Newly commissioned essays from noted scholars of diverse faiths and scientific traditions present the most cutting-edge thinking on religion’s relationship to the environment. Initial readings explore the ways traditional concepts of nature in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and other religious traditions have been shaped by the environmental crisis. Readings then address the changing nature of theology and religious thought in response to the challenges of protecting the environment. Various conceptual issues and themes that transcend individual traditions—climate change, bio-ethics, social justice, ecofeminism, and more—are then analyzed before a final section examines some of the immediate challenges we face in caring for the Earth while looking to the future of religious environmentalism. Timely and thought-provoking, Companion to Religion and Ecology offers illuminating insights into the role of religion in the ongoing struggle to secure the future well-being of our natural world. With a foreword by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, and an Afterword by John Cobb
Download or read book Ecology at the Heart of Faith written by Denis Edwards and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In a world born of the "big bang," Edwards shows that humanity and the world are together being made into the image of God. The heart of faith is an ecological communion that holds together and grows in love toward the fullness of life imaged in the Resurrection of Jesus. Denis Edwards helps the general reader, the preacher, the spiritual director, the student, and the theologian tear down the walls that too often separate mysticism, theology, prophecy, poetry, and science." -- Book jacket.
Download or read book Theology and Philosophy in Eastern Orthodoxy written by Christoph Schneider and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2019-10-25 with total page 197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Even in the twenty-first century, critical and creative engagement with modern and postmodern philosophy is still a rarity in Orthodox circles. This collection of essays makes a contribution to overcoming this deficit. Eight scholars from six different countries, working on the intersection between Orthodox thought and philosophy, present their research in short and accessible essays. The range of topics spans from political philosophy to phenomenology, metaphysics, philosophy of self, logic, ethics, and philosophy of language. This book does not promote one particular approach to the relationship between Orthodox theology and philosophy. Yet all authors demonstrate that Orthodox scholarship is not confined to historical research about the Byzantine era, but that it can contribute to, and enrich, contemporary intellectual debates.
Download or read book God is Green written by Bob Shore-Goss and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2016-10-28 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At this time of climate crisis, here is a practical Christian ecospirituality. It emerges from the pastoral and theological experience of Reverend Robert Shore-Goss, who worked with his congregation by making the earth a member of the church, by greening worship, and by helping the church building and operations attain a carbon neutral footprint. Shore-Goss explores an ecospirituality grounded in incarnational compassion. Practicing incarnational compassion means following the lived praxis of Jesus and the commission of the risen Christ as Gardener. Jesus becomes the "green face of God." Restrictive Christian spiritualities that exclude the earth as an original blessing of God must expand. This expansion leads to the realization that the incarnation of Christ has deep roots in the earth and the fleshly or biological tissue of life. This book aims to foster ecological conversation in churches and outlines the following practices for congregations: meditating on nature, inviting sermons on green topics, covenanting with the earth, and retrieving the natural elements of the sacraments. These practices help us recover ourselves as fleshly members of the earth and the network of life. If we fall in love with God's creation, says Shore-Goss, we will fight against climate change.
