Augustine and the Environment

By (author) John Doody, Kim Paffenroth, Mark Smillie

Publication date:

30 September 2016

Length of book:

224 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9781498541909

This volume brings into dialogue the ancient wisdom of Augustine of Hippo, a bishop of the early Christian Church of the fourth and fifth centuries, with contemporary theologians and ethicists on the topic of the environment and humanity’s place in and responsibility to it. The contributors vary widely in their estimation of how sustained and useful such a dialogue might be, from outright dismissal of the church father to extended speculation with him and in his spirit. Their conclusions impact our views of God and both human and non-human creation. Such engagement should influence any future discussion of how Christianity and environmentalism can interact or influence one another.

1. “But Enough About Me”: What Does Augustine’s Confessions Have to Do with Facebook?
2. Augustine and Ecology: St. Augustine’s Reflections on Genesis and Human Care for Nature
3. The Moral Teachings of St. Augustine and the Roman Catholic Church Regarding the Environment: A Comparison
4. Anthropocene as Empire: An Augustinian Anthropology for “Keeping the Wild”
5. Interdependent and Vulnerable:
Sustainability and Augustinian Theological Anthropology
6. Saint Augustine on “Saving Both Men and Beasts”
7. Toward an Augustinian Eco-theology
8. Saint Augustine: Patron Saint of the Environment?
9. Augustine’s Trinitarian Sacramental Sensibilities, Influence, and Significance for Our Imperiled Planet
10. Saint Augustine and the Goodness of Creation
11. A Green Augustine: What Augustinian Theology Can Contribute to Ecotheology

This is a WWAD (What Would Augustine Do) book. This is indeed a book of great value and has it has a due place in any classroom where environmental concerns are discussed. It presents the relevance of an ancient voice for modern Christians.