Description
The stimulus for the book came from a conference organized by the John Ray Initiative (JRI) to explore 'the Christian approach to the environment'. A clear conclusion was the need to explore and characterize 'stewardship'. This is a concept widely used by environmentalists and one which has clear biblical roots, but it is repeatedly criticized (even condemned) by those who regard any management of nature as either impious or impractical, and by others who believe it is inadequate or misleading. Five key contributions form the core of this book: a context-establishing introduction by R.J. Berry, and papers by Robin Attfield (philosopher), Murray Rae (theologian), Calvin DeWitt (biologist), and Jim Lovelock ('biogeochemist'). They are supported by other relevant material - either classic texts or contributions written or revised especially for this volume.
Table of Contents
Ghillean T. Prance: Foreword
Editor's Preface
R.J. Berry: Stewardship. A default position?
HISTORY OF THE IDEA
Peter Harrison: Having dominion: Genesis and the mastery of nature
Richard Bauckham: Modern domination of nature - historical origins and biblical critique
Joseph Sittler: A theology for the Earth
Rene Dubos: Franciscan conservation versus Benedictine stewardship
CRITICISMS AND EXPOSITION
Clare Palmer: Stewardship: a case study in environmental ethics
Robin Attfield: Environmental sensitivity and critiques of stewardship
John Black: Dominion of man
Ruth Page: The fellowship of all creation
James Lovelock: The fallible concept of the stewardship of the earth
Bruce Reichenbach & Elving Anderson: Tensions in a stewardship paradigm
CONSOLIDATION
Douglas Hall: Stewardship as a key to the theology of nature
Calvin DeWitt: Stewardship: Responding dynamically to the consequences of human action in the world
Lisa Sideris: Environmental ethics, ecological theology and natural selection
Larry Rasmussen: Symbols to live by
Chris Southgate: Stewardship and its competitors: a spectrum of relationships between humans and the non-human creation
APPLICATIONS
Chris Patten: Ethics and stewardship
Susan Bratton: Sea stewards and the Sabbath
Michael Northcott: Soil, stewardship and spirit in the era of chemical agriculture
Crispin Tickell: Religion and the environment
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Derek Osborn: Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Incorporating environmental stewardship into the core mission of the public service and other bodies
Martin Holdgate: Conservation grows a human face
RELEVANCE/WAYS FOREWARD
Anne Clifford: From ecological lament to a sustainable oikos
Paul Santmire: Partnership with nature according to the scripture: beyond the theology of stewardship
John Zizioulas: Priest of creation
Murray Rae: To render praise: humanity in God's world
CONCLUSION
John T. Houghton: Stewardship for the 21st century
Author(s)
RJ "Sam" Berry, RJ (Sam) Berry is Professor Emeritus of Genetics at University College, London. He is both a distinguished scientist and committed Christian: he has served as President of the British Ecological Society, the European Ecological Federation and of Christians in Science.
Reviews
mention - Church of England Newspaper, 2006,
'This book will be essential reading for any student interested in exploring environmental stewardship from a Christian perspective.'
'The galaxy of well established authors R.J. Berry has gathered for this collection will not dissapoint'
'Environmental Stewardship is a particularly valuable collection of essays, especially for students considering the benefits or otherwise of stewardship models.'
'We can thank the editor for being open enough to include a spectrum of views so that the reader can make up their own mind as to how they perceive stewardship. We could ask for no less in an edited collection.'
- Celia Deane-Drummond, International Journal of Systematic Theology (IJST)
Celia Deane-Drummond,
"Many of the articles are nuanced, carefully crafted, and clearly advance specific arguments in the field of environmental ethics…The text will appeal to undergraduate students in ecology and religion classes or to seminarians searching for general synopsis of this conversation."— Daniel McFee, Religious Studies Review, Vol. 33, No. 3, July 2007
Daniel McFee,