Environmental Justice and Climate Change

Assessing Pope Benedict XVI's Ecological Vision for the Catholic Church in the United States

Contributions by Mary Ashley, Michael Baur, John T. Brinkman, David Cloutier, Anselma Dolcich-Ashley, Elizabeth Groppe, Scott G. Hefelfinger, Kevin W. Irwin, Donald Kettler, Christiana Z. Peppard, Jame Schaefer, Bernard Unabali, Jeremiah Vallery, Keith Douglass Warner, Matthew Philipp Whelan, Tobias Winright Edited by Jame Schaefer, Tobias Winright

Publication date:

21 November 2013

Length of book:

322 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9780739183809

During his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI was called ‘the green pope’ because of his ecological commitments in his writings, statements, and practical initiatives. Containing twelve essays by lay, ordained, and religious Catholic theologians and scholars, along with a presentation and a homily by bishops, Environmental Justice and Climate Change: Assessing Pope Benedict XVI's Ecological Vision for the Catholic Church in the United States explores four key areas in connection with Benedict XVI’s teachings: human and natural ecology/human life and dignity; solidarity, justice, poverty and the common good; sacramentality of creation; and our Catholic faith in action. The product of mutual collaboration by bishops, scholars and staff, this anthology provides the most thorough treatment of Benedict XVI’s contributions to ecological teaching and offers fruitful directions for advancing concern among Catholics in the United States about ongoing threats to the integrity of Earth.

Preface: Message on the 2010 World Day of Peace: “If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation”
Pope Benedict XVI
Introduction: Celebrating and Advancing Magisterial Discourse on the Ecological Crisis
Jame Schaefer
Part I. Human and Natural Ecology/Human Life and Dignity
Chapter 1: Bonaventure in Benedict: Franciscan Wisdom for Human Ecology
Keith Douglas Warner
Chapter 2: If You Want Responsibility, Build Relationship: A Personalist Approach to Benedict XVI's Environmental Vision
Mary A. Ashley
Chapter 3: Natural Law and the Natural Environment: Pope Benedict XVI's Vision Beyond Utilitarianism and Deontology
Michael Baur
Part II. Solidarity, Justice, Poverty, and the Common Good
Chapter 4: Human, Social, and Natural Ecology: Three Ecologies, One Cosmology, and the Common Good
Scott G. Hefelfinger
Chapter 5: Commodifying Creation? Pope Benedict XVI's Vision of the Goods of Creation Intended for All
Christiana Z. Peppard
Chapter 6: The Grammar of Creation: Agriculture in the Thought of Pope Benedict XVI
Matthew Whelan
Part III. The Sacramentality of Creation
Chapter 7: The Way of Wisdom: "Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life" (Prov 3:14)
Elizabeth Groppe
Chapter 8: The World as God’s Icon: Creation, Sacramentality, Liturgy
Kevin W. Irwin
Chapter 9: Pope Benedict XVI’s Cosmic Soteriology and the Advancement of Catechesis on the Environment
Jeremiah Vallery
Part IV. Our Catholic Faith in Action
Chapter 10: Discernment of the Church and the Dynamics of the Climate Change Convention
John T. Brinkman
Chapter 11: American Lifestyles and Structures of Sin: The Practical Implications of Pope Benedict XVI’s Ecological Vision for the American Church
David Cloutier
Chapter 12: American Nature Writing As a Critically-Appropriated Resource for Catholic Ecological Ethics
Anselma Dolcich-Ashley
Appendix A: Keynote Address at the Catholic Consultation on Environmental Justice and Climate Change
The Most Reverend Bernard Unabali
Appendix B: Homily: Catholic Consultation on Environmental Justice and Climate Change
The Most Reverend Bishop Donald Kettler

Readers will surely share the editors' hope that the environmental concern of Benedict XVI, developed from similar concerns of John Paul II, will be further advanced by Pope Francis. . . .In these pages, those who still need convincing should discover environmental concern at the heart of Catholic life and thought.