Economics Ecology And The Roots Of Western Faith

Environmentalists have turned to Eastern religion, Deep Ecology and Native American religion for alternatives to the Western view that humans should dominate nature. In Economics, Ecology, and the Roots of Western Faith, Robert R. Gottfried persuasively demonstrates that the ancient Hebrew worldview, found in the Torah and the New Testament, is remarkably "green." Drawing on these insights from ancient Western thought and economic understanding of ecosystems and natural processess, Gottfried analyzes the prerequisites for maintaining or improving human welfare and ecological vitality in terms of land economics and management.

How should today's Church shape its response to the Gospel? How can we set about "making disciples of all nations" in our post-Christian, multifaith world? What does mission mean in our times? Here is a book that addresses these issues - and many more - with honesty and openness. It strips mission of its old associations with colonialism and militarism. It looks anew at the underlying theology, reminding us that our task is God's mission, not a human construct. It explores key aspects of contemporary mission, from the familiar (such as the relation of mission to evangelism, and to people of other faiths) to the unusual and thought-provoking (such as mission and the environment, justice for the poor, and the overcoming of violence). Students of mission and Christians who wish to engage with today's world, to integrate faith and life, will find here an inclusive, comprehensive, and lucid presentation of all the relevant discussions.

This book--an edited compilation of twenty-nine essays--focuses on the difference(s) that a Christian worldview makes for the disciplines or subject areas normally taught in liberal arts colleges and universities. Three initial chapters of introductory material are followed by twenty-six essays, each dealing with the essential elements or issues in the academic discipline involved. These individual essays on each discipline are a unique element of this book. These essays also treat some of the specific differences in perspective or procedure that a biblically informed, Christian perspective brings to each discipline. Christian Worldview and the Academic Disciplines is intended principally as an introductory textbook in Christian worldview courses for Christian college or university students. This volume will also be of interest to Christian students in secular post-secondary institutions, who may be encountering challenges to their faith--both implicit and explicit--from peers or professors who assume that holding a strong Christian faith and pursuing a rigorous college or university education are essentially incompatible. This book should also be helpful for college and university professors who embrace the Christian faith but whose post-secondary academic background--because of its secular orientation--has left them inadequately prepared to intelligently apply the implications of their faith to their particular academic specialty. Such specialists, be they professors or upper-level graduate students, will find the extensive bibliographies of recent scholarship at the end of the individual chapters particularly helpful.

Ever wonder why many people feel closer to God in nature than anywhere else? Does God love everything or only humans? Why did God become a human? And what’s God up to anyway? Starting with an eternal jazz trio that decided, before time began, that it would love to share the joy of Music-making with others, the Audacious Great Singing School Adventure explores these and other theological themes in a playful imaginative re-casting of the Gospel story. It also serves as an entertaining source of inspiration and insight for those just getting into spirituality as well as for those seeking to deepen their spiritual journey. While orthodox in content, the fable presents Christianity in a fresh way relevant to a world in environmental and social upheaval. Those interested in what Christianity has to say to such a world will find this engaging musical story enlightening regardless of their own faith perspectives while those identifying themselves as Christians will find their faith deepened and enlivened. A discussion guide to the fable is available for free download.

The biblical story of Jesus' Transfiguration on a high mountain bristles with meanings germane to present-day concerns and spiritual longings. Together with its later artistic representations, this episode from the synoptic gospels seizes the imagination as an icon of mystical hope, beauty, and possibility. What might such an iconic episode, long honored liturgically in the Eastern church, disclose not only about Jesus, but also about the prospect of seeing our human nature transformed? And as interpreted by Christian tradition since the patristic era, what might it tell us about the worth of envisioning not just a conservation or preservation of natural resources but a transfiguration of all creation, and about how this feast of beauty could re-energize current discussions of Christianity's relation to environmental attitudes and policy? Such questions are addressed in this book through an original blend of personal reflection with commentary on relevant theological and scriptural texts, literary works, music, and art.

In this landmark text, Gilbert Rist provides a comprehensive and compelling overview of what the idea of development has meant throughout history. He traces it from its origins in the Western view of history, through the early stages of the world system, the rise of US hegemony, and the supposed triumph of third-worldism, through to new concerns about the environment and globalization. Assessing possible postdevelopment models and considering the ecological dimensions of development, Rist contemplates the ways forward. Throughout, he argues persuasively that development has been no more than a collective delusion, which in reality has resulted only in widening market relations, whatever the intentions of its advocates. A classic development text written by one of the leaders of postdevelopment theory.

Ecologically oriented visions of God, the Sacred, the Earth, and human beings. The proposed handbook will serve as the definitive overview of these exciting new developments. Divided into three main sections, the books essays will reflect the three dominant dimensions of the field. Part I will explore