Search Results (74)

This article addresses the epistemic and political problem of self-referentiality in theology within the context of post-secular societies as a demand for public relevance of faculties of theology within the 21st-century university. It focuses on the epistemological emergence of public theology as a distinct knowledge, such as human rights, and ecological thinking, contributing to the public mission of knowledge production and interdisciplinary engagement. This study applies Michel Foucault’s archaeological and genealogical methods in dialogue with Michel de Certeau’s insights into the archaeology of religious practices through a multi-layered analytical approach, including archaeology of knowledge, apparatuses of power, pastoral government, and spirituality as a genealogy of ethics. As a result of the analysis, it examines the historical conditions of possibility for the emergence of a public theology and how it needs to be thought synchronously with other formations of knowledge, allowing theology to move beyond its self-referential model of approaching dogma and the social practices derived from it. This article concludes programmatically that the development of public theology requires an epistemological reconfiguration to displace its self-referentiality through critical engagement with a public rationality framework as an essential task for the public relevance and contribution of theology within contemporary universities and plural societies. Full article

This study explores the role of public theology in addressing contemporary societal challenges, emphasizing ethical dialogue in response to secularization, pluralism, technological transformation, and social and environmental issues. It situates pastoral theology in the Christian tradition as an active social practice aimed at promoting justice, equality, and the common good. The study highlights the emergence of public theology as a response to the participation of religious discourse in the public arena, considering communication and digital technology, and articulating theological reflection with real-world social issues. Additionally, it examines the profound significance of dialogue within religious discourse and stresses the importance of ethical reflection in technological advancements, particularly concerning AI (Artificial Intelligence). Moreover, Catholic social thought and the concept of integral ecology are analyzed in dialogue with the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), underlining the potential of public theology to promote socio-environmental justice through a holistic approach. Full article

Studies on the significance of “place” as a theological concept are in the early stages of development in ecotheology. However, the few scholars who have provided key insights into the concept have approached it from a narrow perspective. In contrast, this article approaches the notion of “place” from a broader perspective that engages philosophy, scripture, theology, and contemporary social thought. The aim of the article is to demonstrate the centrality of “place” in relation to environmental care as the necessary enabling condition for human and ecological flourishing amid our global ecological crisis. To advance this argument, the article adopts a textual method of analysis that draws significantly on secondary literature. It begins with a brief description of what integral ecology is about; it then proceeds to provide an overview of the contemporary crisis of “place”. This is followed by an examination of “place” from biblical and theological perspectives. The article concludes by discussing “place” as an ethical praxis at the heart of integral ecology. Central to the discussion is the usefulness of talking about “place” as a site of both action and resistance in the face of our present ecological crisis. Full article

We can understand Platonism as both a storehouse of resources that can be drawn upon and a living philosophy capable of helping us address the present-day environmental crisis, one of humanity’s most important and pressing challenges. Platonism appears in the collected papers here in philosophical, theological, scientific, and literary contexts, demonstrating both its versatility and its capacity. One of the aims of promoting this avenue of research is to both explore and challenge the traditional characterisations and critiques of the Platonic tradition in relation to nature and ecology. This Special Issue demonstrates how Platonism can serve as a resource for addressing the environmental crisis in a present-day context. Collectively, the wide range of contributions allow us to begin to tackle the task of showing how a Platonically orientated metaphysics can provide an integrative and sustainable framework for conceptualising nature and the place of humans within it, particularly by offering an alternative to subject-centred epistemologies. Full article

This paper delineates the theology of creation in Brazilian theologian Cláudio Carvalhaes’ eco-liturgical theology of liberation. Reorienting lex orandi-lex credendi-lex vivendi by his liturgical methodological innovation lex naturae, he envisions every dimension of worship as deeply connected to a planet in crisis. Lex naturae transforms liturgical spaces into creational–political spaces which invoke and evoke people to deeply attend to, to cry with, to wonder with, and to pray and sing with the forests, animals, soil, water, and all earthly beings. Celebrating a creational solidarity and wisdom, lex naturae ritualizes that people are the earth, the earth is in people, and human and more-than-human beings belong to each other. Using the seven petitions of his “The Ecological Lord’s Prayer”, Carvalhaes’ theology of creation, which reimagines the Divine, the earth, and the human in a multispecies context via the (re)orienting ground of lex naturae, is “unearthed.” His theology of creation centers the creaturely commonality with more-than-human neighbors and challenges human beings to live, love, and flourish within all the entanglements of created life. Lex naturae is also a form of asceticism which aims to recalibrate the human focus towards environmental justice for the planet. It aims at changing human desire to turn away from the brutalism of colonialism’s ecocide and toward wholesome relations with animals, plants, soil, land, and water. In the end, this paper claims that Carvalhaes’ theology of creation affirms a “godly animism”. Full article

In this article, I explore the power and purpose of a public theology of menopause. I approach this both by focusing on menopause as a pivotal transition in the lives of women (and others who menstruate), and recognising how profoundly menopause intersects with all our lives, the life of the planet, and the relationships between us all. This is, therefore, a public theology of menopause in the broad sense of a practiced faith that looks both inward and outward, to family, community, friend and stranger, online and offline, and that takes account of forces such as globalisation and capitalism and what this implies for our position and action. As an approach to a public theology of menopause, I propose inter-theological and interdisciplinary connections with peri/menopause and survey a range of areas foundational to the lived experience such as nature and medicine; control and power; disorientation and rage; and the centrality of culture, community and ritual. I draw on global sources and an awareness of our embeddedness in a globalised, capitalist world in ecological crisis to support a public-facing theology of menopause characterised by a concern for dignity, connection and justice. Full article

The Philippines’ new religious movements (NRMs) emerged in the context of the rise of the religious nationalism movement and gradually flourished during the martial law period in the 1970s. Compared with traditional Catholicism, the theology of NRMs is more realistic and temporal, therefore creating an inherent demand to become politicized. After the People Power Movement, changes in the social environment, media technology, and electoral system in the Philippines created conditions for NRM groups to participate in politics more extensively and directly. They intervened in the political process through various means, such as bloc voting and running for public positions, with characteristics such as opposition to the Catholic Church, proactive and pragmatic political strategies, grassroots appeals, and a transnational mass base. The participation of NRM groups in politics has impacted the Catholic Church’s transcendental political status, enriched the political ecology dominated by oligarchic families, improved public welfare, and provided new channels for the voice of the grassroots. Overall, the rise of NRMs has not only changed the religious landscape of the Philippines but also profoundly affected its democratization process as an important factor, especially in the coming 2025 election. Full article

Environmental challenges have become essential to study in today’s world because of the technical advancements and human achievements that have promoted an overestimation of human capabilities. This study explores the evolving relationship between humanity and nature through the lens of Catholic Church teachings, particularly the Laudato Si’ encyclical call for an “ecological conversion” (LS). It traces the historical transition from anthropocentrism to an ecological consciousness, examining theological perspectives and contemporary environmental ethics. A key focus is the role of liberation theology in shaping environmental justice. Key themes include the transition from anthropocentrism to a more comprehensive understanding of human–nature interactions, as well as the impact of liberation theology on environmental justice. Grounded in a qualitative research approach, this study investigates the potential of educational programs in Lebanon’s unique socio-cultural context to foster ethical and sustainable environmental practices. Through thematic analysis, this research highlights the concept of ecological conversion—a transformative shift in lifestyle and spirituality rooted in the principles of integral ecology. The findings show that educational initiatives based on Catholic Church teachings can successfully promote environmental stewardship and social justice. This article contributes to the discussion of environmental ethics by emphasizing the significance of an ecumenical and holistic approach, advocating for a synergy of spiritual beliefs and practical activities to confront the ecological issue. It concludes that achieving lasting environmental transformation requires collaboration, solidarity, and a collective commitment to the common good. Full article

Post-Theoretical “creative–critical” research recently emerged in the discipline of Creative Writing as a collapse of the binaries between practice and Theory. This article shows that using this interdisciplinary methodology in the study of mysticism is a natural fit, illustrating its efficacy in a case study with the reflexive writing of the medieval Christian mystic Julian of Norwich. As a creative–critical writer and researcher, I explored the junctures where Julian’s poetics intersect with trauma-informed theology. Writing through these intersections formed a literary trauma-informed framework for the holding and processing of loss and grief through Julian’s nuanced modelling of mystical union with God. This case study shows how the framework came together critically and its application to contemporary ecological grief in the writing of a performative long poem, Blue: a lament for the sea. The “theopoetic” making process with two images from Julian’s texts, Christ’s “wounds” and “one-ing”, developed new language for liminal and spiritual experience. Insights from creative–critical research can be shared in artistic performance and publication in the academy and beyond in public impact. Bringing the whole self through theopoetics to the scholarly research of mysticism has the potential to form fresh insights, revealing new dimensions. Full article

The complex interwoven crises of climate disruption and biodiversity loss demand not only rapid technological innovation for sustainable development but also major shifts in consumption and behaviour, implying a need for responses rooted in ethical values and a reorientation of attitudes towards the more-than-human world. In this context, given the global significance of faith communities and institutions as motivators and moral authorities, it is important that faith leaders state the challenges for sustainable development and suggest pathways forward to protect the environment and people that live in it. Building on his landmark encyclical of 2015, Laudato Si’, Pope Francis issued Laudate Deum, an apostolic exhortation on the climate crisis, and followed this up with a message to COP 28 for leaders to show leadership in facing up to the climate challenge. We argue that the interventions of Pope Francis point to the crucial importance of an approach to sustainable development that can integrate faith perspectives on social and ecological ethics with the knowledge generated by the natural sciences and by environmental systems science. The interdependence revealed by the emerging scientific understanding of human, animal, and ecosystem life implies the bioethics of care and stewardship, which have the potential to bring people together across religious and disciplinary divides. Unlike other analyses, we argue that it is important to understand how life was created if we are to care for it effectively and sustainably. We also put forward the case for more sustainable land use and the production of more sustainable foods. This article is written from the perspective of the Catholic Church, including its approach to moral theology, but we argue that the implications of the analysis are relevant to all faith communities and religious institutions seeking to promote sustainable development. Full article

The question of a possible discontinuity between the papacies of Benedict XVI and Francis are broadly discussed in the Catholic public square, as well as in the literature. This paper aims at demonstrating the continuity of the two papal magisteria in a special area, the assessment of the ecological crisis. While Benedict XVI approached the issue from a theological and theoretical point of view, he was not indifferent to the practical consequences, which were then highlighted in a sometimes harsh and passionate manner by Francis. I argue that Francis’ alarmist claims about the ecological situation are partly based on the theological imagination of Benedict XVI (while, of course, having other sources, as well). Continuity between the two Popes can also be observed in their relation to Orthodox ecological thought, a relation deserving careful attention. Full article

The Logos has made a Garden. That short sentence might sum up the ‘eco-theology’ (or, as some would have it, theo-ecology) of Joseph Ratzinger—Benedict XVI. It is ripe for unpacking, by considering not only his general approach to the God–world relation (always presupposed as this is in his comments on environmental issues) but also how his theological insights into the created realm, understood as humanity’s common home (oikos), might now be taken further in the great pope’s footsteps, drawing on the doctrinal and hagiographical traditions of the Church. Full article

Ongoing discussions on creation care and agapeic ethic have paid less attention to the interplay between love, creation, waste management challenges, and mission. This paper, therefore, discusses a missional perspective of agapeic ethic as a ground norm for eco-theology and motivation for eco-care (especially proper waste management). An attempt is made to discuss the concept and dimensions of love and the nexus between love, creation, and missional purpose. This paper adopts a non-participant observation of refuse collection as carried out by refuse collectors, the waste disposal practices of people, and the waste handling and disposal practices of selected churches. This research was conducted across Port Harcourt City, Obio Akpor, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Oyibo, and Eleme municipal areas of Rivers State, Nigeria. The churches observed include Protestant Churches (Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Church of Nigeria that is Anglican Communion, and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints); the Roman Catholic Church; Pentecostal Churches (such as Salvation Ministries Worldwide, Redeemed Christian Church of God, and Deeper Life Bible Church); and African Indigenous Churches (namely, the Christ Apostolic Church, Cherubim and Seraphim, and Celestial Church of Christ). The information gathered was critically analysed and used in measuring stakeholders’ disposition to and understanding of the research focus. Ecological liberation hermeneutics was adopted as an interpretative framework, while the eco-justice principles of interconnectedness and purpose were engaged to foreground the underlying issues in this study. This paper argued that Christians’ involvement in proper waste management, keeping both private and public spaces clean, is a morally and divinely imposed duty and a practical testimonial of their love for God, their fellow human beings, and non-human others. This is a fulfilment of the mission where Christian love (agape) serves as an ethical principle of inflicting ‘no harm’ to humans or non-human others. Full article

Against the backdrop of the dialogue between theology, cinema, and image culture more broadly, this article explores Paul Schrader’s 2017 film First Reformed as an experiment in cinematic theology. His 1972 work Transcendental Style in Film: Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer outlines the contours of a cross-cultural, cross-religious model of spiritual cinema and remains an influential text within both film studies and theology. While much of his career as both a director and screenwriter has embraced a broad spectrum of themes, from the psychological pessimism of Taxi Driver (1976) to the deep Christology of The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), First Reformed sees Schrader return to his theory of a sacred cinema through the themes of spiritual crisis, ecological indifference, and the politicization of Christianity. Through a theological and hermeneutical reflection on the film, its visual and narrative grammar, and its influences, this article explores Schrader’s cinema as model of divine intimacy that redeems in an indifferent world. Full article

In the burgeoning field of ecotheology, scholars have been compelled to propose typologies to introduce and categorize existing but diffuse ecotheological insights. Taking ecotheology as a particular epistemic theology, I argue for an alternative way of typologizing that entails meticulously examining the extent to which ecotheologians engage with competing epistemes, namely “postcolonial typology”. To illustrate, I will examine a range of ecotheological works from a postcolonial nation, Indonesia. I present three groups of ecotheologies: the “expansionist”, the “tribalist”, and the “essentialist” approaches (or strategies). The expansionist group extends or expands the systematic theology formerly introduced by European missionaries during the colonial period as a way to ecologize their theology. The tribalist approach prioritizes retrieving and incorporating local or tribal wisdom. Finally, the essentialist group focuses on identifying categorical frameworks that may signify “Indonesianness”, which involves a “strategic” choice of essentialism that yields to a national or transtribal theological cohesion. In the end, I will also note one pedagogical implication of employing postcolonial typology. Full article