The Cosmic Circle: Jesus and Ecology

by Edward P. Echlin

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 185607451X
• ISBN13: 9781856074513
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Columba Press (IE)
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A blessing upon the whole creation

God is the God of all creation -- not just humanity, not just of one people or group, but for the whole earth and cosmos. This includes concern for the land, the animals, the ecosystem, all the elements of nature which, according to the creation story contained in Genesis 1, were all declared good. Jesus ministry on earth involved miracles and parables incorporating the earth and all that is in it as part of God's love and action in the world. Edward Echlin, a theologian with interest in ecological affairs, has written this wonderful little book by the Columba Press in which he envisions all of creation, the cosmos, as a grand circle in which God's Word fills all things. For Echlin, as for others in the past (Gerald Manley Hopkins is highlighted in this regard) the whole earth is sacramental. Echlin looks at the history of humanity on earth and our relationship to the land, as well as recent developments in industry, politics, society and religion on how the earth and her inhabitants are regarded, whether the earth is cherished or used, nurtured or abused. Echlin incorporates religious elements, such as the gospels stories, liturgical rites, and the creeds into his ecological framework. 'Creeds are like whitethorn hedges,' Echlin writes, stating that they provide guidance for boundaries and how to walk, yet do require attention and occasional pruning, as all living things do. His incorporation of basic pieces of Christian belief and practice is well crafted. Echlin's text is both reflective and analytical -- he can go from an analysis of Erich Fromm's commentary on the post-modern mindset with regard to ecological relationship to the poetry of G.K. Chesterton or G.M Hopkins with ease and clarity, in a matter of a few paragraphs. He incorporates elements of his own experience and study (quite considerable) as well as personal narratives of others, historical and current, to draw together a theology of ecology that is both intellectually credible and incarnationally practical at the same time. There is much material of use for the preacher, the mystic, the church group leader, or the 'average' (if there is such a creature) church-goer; even if one is not a 'religious' sort, this book shows how a major force in the world such as Christianity has at its core a deep respect and care for the whole of creation, from things as simple as the water supply in the Jordan valley (waters prominent in the biblical narrative) to as intricate and complex as multinational concerns with globalisation of water supplies. Issues of self-sufficiency and conservation are of concern to people of all political and religious persuasions. Echlin includes a select bibliography, which makes a great list for further reading. Also, each chapter is well annotated, with footnotes for clarification and source material.