An examination of the relationship between faith in God and the concept of ecological care within a crisis of biodiversity
Elizabeth A. Johnson is Distinguished Professor of Theology at Fordham University, New York. She is the author of many bestselling books, including most recently Quest for the Living God.
In Ask the Beasts Elisabeth Johnson combines erudition and
theological reflection, a pastoral passion and ethical commitment
to show that Darwinian theory of evolution need not stand against a
religious belief in God. Instead, she provides a theology of
creation that not only integrates an understanding of evolution
with a belief in the presence of God's love and grace in the world,
but also encourages us to take up our common responsibility for the
earth, its environment, and all its living creatures. The clarity
of her exposition and her ability to bring classical theological
affirmations to bear on contemporary issues makes this book an
accessible and required reading on the burning issues of faith,
science, and ecological well-being. -- Francis Schussler
Fiorenza
Elizabeth Johnson's beautifully written book shows us, more
convincingly than any other book that I have ever read, how science
and religion can engage in a dialogue which is mutually
illuminating. She shows how the narratives of evolution and
salvation are not just parallel stories but shed light on each
other. The unpredictable creativity of matter is disclosed as the
sphere of the working of the ever-fresh Holy Spirit. She brings us
to a new understanding of the role of pain and death, and radically
deepens our understanding of a cosmic redemption. I will read the
Bible with a renewed understanding and pleasure. I have rarely
enjoyed a book of theology more. -- Timothy Radcliffe, O.P.
This book is a call to broaden our focus, beyond the hierarchy we
have perceived in Genesis, beyond the individualistic angst of
human sin and redemption. It shows us that biblical revelation is
bigger than this - God is bigger than this. -- Melissa Jones,
Brandman University, CA * National Catholic Reporter *
Johnson's work is vivifying, encouraging not only Christian
thoughtfulness but also reverence toward the ecosystem on its
behalf. An overdue reconciliation of religious belief to scientific
cognizance, Ask the Beasts should become the benchmark for
conversations between the disciplines. -- Michelle Anne Schingler *
ForeWord Reviews *
With 'Ask the Beasts' Elizabeth Johnson gives us a gift of the
insights, scope of vision and impact of Darwin's theory on the way
we humans view the history of life on our planet and our
responsibility to care for oWith 'Ask the Beasts' Elizabeth Johnson
gives us a gift of the insights, scope of vision and impact of
Darwin's theory on the way we humans view the history of life on
our planet and our responsibility to care for our home. -- Blair
Tabor * Association for Mormon Letters *
In constructing her "dialogue between Charles Darwin's account of
the origin of species and the Christian story of the ineffable God
of mercy and love recounted in the Nicene Creed" (xv), Johnson
writes so skillfully in her judicious use of a broad swathe of
traditional and contemporary literature, and also so beautifully,
that this book may well stand out as one of the most important to
come from the early twenty-first century. -- Robert J. Daly, Boston
College * Worship, V. 89 N. 2. *
Like Darwin marveling at the web of life observed in the tangle of
vegetation, insects, birds, and animals along a riverbank and at
discovering the 'grandeur' of a view of life that is dynamic rather
than static, Johnson's stance is most often one of profound wonder
at the complexity, beauty and mystery of creation and of its
Creator. -- Scott MacDougall, Fordham University
Like Darwin marveling at the web of life observed in the tangle of
vegetation, insects, birds, and animals along a riverbank and at
discovering the "grandeur" of a view of life that is dynamic rather
than static, Johnson's stance is most often one of profound wonder
at the complexity, beauty and mystery of creation and of its
Creator. * Anglican Theological Review *
Elizabeth Johnson's most recent publication demonstrates not only
her facility and keen insight on matters of theology, but also her
knowledge of evolutionary theory as introduced by Darwin and
updated by other scholars. Johnson is a clear and persuasive writer
who substantiates her work with footnotes and an eleven-page select
bibliography. ... Ask the Beasts forwards the conversation between
science and theology and is well-suited for any library, but
particularly for a theological library. -- Laurie Brink, OP *
Catholic Library World *
Johnson makes the world sing through the pages of her book ... Ask
the Beasts provides a blueprint for a new theology of Creation, in
fact, a new ecological theology. Others have been working towards
this for some time, but none more persuasively or more beautifully
than Elizabeth Johnson. * The Tablet *
This Spirit-imbued vision of creation yields the kind of strong
ecological ethic demanded in our day. ... Ask the Beasts presents a
deeply sacramental, incarnational view of the natural world and our
place in it. -- Stephen J. Pope, Boston College, USA * The Journal
of Religion *
What might have been a book review of Ask the Beasts: Darwin and
the God of Love ... has become that and something more because of
the quality of the book and the contemporary relevance of the
issues with which it deals. Indeed, those issues are not only
central to Christian faith and life, but also concern the threat
that we humans now pose for all life on the planet ... It is the
fruit of careful and detailed study, dialogue, tested judgements
and conclusions across fields not commonly traversed by a
theologian. It bears the mark of the deep and careful reflection of
an accomplished theologian. -- Revd Professor John Painter * St
Mark's Review *
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