Laudato Si And The Environment

This volume is a response to Pope Francis' environmental encyclical Laudato Si'. Published in 2015, the encyclical urges us to face up to the crisis of climate change and to take better care of the Earth, our common home, while also attending to the plight of the poor. In this book the Pope's invitation to all people to begin a new dialogue about these matters is considered from a variety of perspectives by an international and multidisciplinary team of leading scholars. There is discussion of the implications of Laudato Si' for immigration, population control, eating animals, and property ownership. Additionally, indigenous religious perspectives, development and environmental protection, and the implementation of the ideas of the encyclical within the Church are explored. Some chapters deal with scriptural or philosophical aspects of the encyclical. Others focus on central concepts, such as interconnectedness, the role of practice, and what Pope Francis calls the "technocratic paradigm." This book expertly illuminates the relationship between Laudato Si' and environmental concerns. It will be of deep interest to anyone studying religion and the environment, environmental ethics, Catholic theology, or environmental thought.

“In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward. Praise be to him!” – Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ In his second encyclical, Laudato Si’: On the Care of Our Common Home, Pope Francis draws all Christians into a dialogue with every person on the planet about our common home. We as human beings are united by the concern for our planet, and every living thing that dwells on it, especially the poorest and most vulnerable. Pope Francis’ letter joins the body of the Church’s social and moral teaching, draws on the best scientific research, providing the foundation for “the ethical and spiritual itinerary that follows.” Laudato Si’ outlines: The current state of our “common home” The Gospel message as seen through creation The human causes of the ecological crisis Ecology and the common good Pope Francis’ call to action for each of us Our Sunday Visitor has included discussion questions, making it perfect for individual or group study, leading all Catholics and Christians into a deeper understanding of the importance of this teaching.

This volume is a response to the Pope’s Laudato Si’, giving an interdisciplinary overview of its impact on the environmental concerns of Catholics as well as other religious groups. Published in 2015, it is often seen as an "environmental" encyclical and in it the Pope urges us to face up to the crisis of climate change. He argues that all of us should prioritise taking better care of the Earth, our common home, while also attending to the plight of the poor. Written by an international and multidisciplinary team of leading scholars, the Pope’s invitation to all people to begin a new dialog about these matters is considered from a variety of perspectives. There is discussion of the implications for immigration, population control, eating animals, and property ownership. Additionally, indigenous religious perspectives, development and environmental protection, and the implementation of the ideas of the encyclical in the Church are explored. Each chapter deals with the scriptural, theological, and philosophical underpinnings of the encyclical, as well as other central concepts such as interconnectedness, the role of practice, and what Pope Francis calls the "technocratic paradigm". This book expertly illuminates the relationship between Laudato Si’ and environmental concerns. It will, therefore, be vital reading for anyone studying religion and the environment, environmental ethics, Catholic theology, and environmental thought.

Brings together the full text of Laudato Si'with reflections by Sean McDonagh, one of the foremost Catholic proponents of ecological awareness. In addition to an overview of the history of Catholic teaching and the environment, he elaborates on several of the specific themes in the encyclical including climate change, biodiversity, water scarcity, the threats to the ocean, and the crisis of food. He concludes with prescriptions about what must be done to turn the vision of Pope Francis into a program of effective action. Each of us has a role to play. As Pope Francis observes, "All it takes is one good person to restore hope."

Laudato Si' insists on a revolutionary human response to the public challenges of our time concerning the ecological crisis. The volume takes up the revolutionary spirit of Pope Francis and speaks to the economic, technological, political, educational, and religious changes needed to overcome the fragile relationships between humans and Earth. This volume identifies various systemic factors that have produced the anthropogenic ecological crisis that threatens the planet and uses the ethical vision of Laudato Si' to promote practical responses that foster fundamental changes in humanity's relationships with Earth and each other. The essays address not only the immediate behavioral changes needed in individual human lives, but also the deeper, societal changes required if human communities are to live sustainable lives within Earth's integral ecology. Thus, this volume intentionally focuses on a plurality of cultural contexts and proposes solutions to problems encountered in a variety of global contexts. Accordingly, the contributors to this volume are scholars from a breadth of interdisciplinary and cultural backgrounds, each exploring an ethical theme from the encyclical and proposing systemic changes to address deeply entrenched injustices. Collectively, their essays examine the social, political, economic, gender, scientific, technological, educational, and spiritual challenges of our time as these relate to the ecological crisis.

This book applies and explores Catholic social thought, focusing on the relevance of the encyclical Laudato Si' in an era of climate crises.

Laudato Si', Pope Francis's historic encyclical on the environment, was issued in 2015. As the first encyclical devoted entirely to the environment and related social justice issues, it represented a watershed in the church's engagement with such urgent challenges as climate change, environmental degradation, and the fate of the poor. This volume joins the full text of Laudato Si' with reflections by Sean McDonagh, one of the foremost Catholic proponents of ecological awareness. Aside from reviewing the history of Catholic teaching and the environment, he elaborates on several of the specific themes in the encyclical--climate change, biodiversity, water scarcity, the threats to the ocean, and the crisis of food. He concludes with prescriptions about what must be done to turn the pope's vision into a program of effective action. Each of us has a role to play. As Pope Francis observes, "All it takes is one good person to restore hope."