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INTRODUCTION: READING THE CATHOLIC THEOLOGICAL TRADITION THROUGH AN ECOLOGICAL LENS Earth is imperiled. Human activities are adversely affecting the land, water, air, and myriad forms of biological life that constitute the ecological systems (hereafter , ecosystems) of our planet. Wetlands, forests, grasslands, and aquatic ecosystems are degraded or destroyed daily, endangering or driving into extinction the animal and plant species dependent on these habitats for their survival. Indicators of global warming and holes in the ozone layer inhibit functions vital to the biosphere. Pollutants and toxicants emitted into the air, flushed into waterways, and spread on the land persist in the environment, advance through the food chain, and threaten the survival of myriad types of living entities. The diversity of biological life is declining. Experimental and inadequately safeguarded technologies decimate, injure, and genetically alter living entities and render areas uninhabitable for decades. Highly radioactive and other hazardous wastes accumulate without acceptable long-term solutions for disposition, and even relatively benign wastes are increasingly problematic by their sheer volume prompted by the throwaway mentality that prevails, especially in industrially developed countries . Urban sprawl accompanied by increased automobile use causes a plethora of problems. In one way or another, human damage to the planet becomes damaging to human health and well-being now and in the future, and too often this damage affects people who are least able to protect themselves. Where does religion fit into this dire picture? Religious communities can play pivotal roles by reminding their members about traditions that can guide their attitudes, thoughts, and actions during this age of widespread ecological degradation . Scholars of religions can help by examining teachings that appear promising , while leaders can instruct their followers on their traditions’ ways of thinking about and acting toward other species and systems that constitute Earth. Scholars can also examine traditions that may appear less efficacious, clarify and correct them where necessary, and alert the leaders of their respective communities to problematic dimensions that should be deemphasized. 1 Call and Response to Examine the Tradition Some prominent leaders of the world’s religions have encouraged scholars to examine promising teachings from their traditions. When delivering his 1990 Message on the World Day of Peace, Pope John Paul II underscored the need to recognize the ecological crisis as a moral responsibility.1 Many Catholic bishops from around the world responded,2 including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which specifically called upon biblical experts, theologians, and ethicists “to help explore, deepen, and advance the insights of our Catholic tradition and its relation to the environment” and especially “to explore the relationship between this tradition’s emphasis upon the dignity of the human person and our responsibility to care for all of God’s creation.”3 Several other Christian denominations have issued statements indicating their faith-based positions on caring for God’s creation.4 Spurred by theologians and other religionists, a series of scholarly conferences washeldatHarvardUniversity’sCenterfortheStudyof Religionatwhichresearch findings on the world’s religions were shared and from which nine volumes were generated, each focusing on promising and problematic notions in the teachings of a religious tradition.5 Representatives of the Jewish tradition, the Catholic Church, and other Christian denominations initiated the National Religious Partnership for the Environment dedicated to integrating care for all of God’s creation throughout religious life—theological reflection, worship, social teaching, education, congregational life, and public policy initiative.6 Biblical scholars, historians of religion, systematic theologians, and ethicists have examined their traditions, pointed to notions that are inadequate for responding to ecological concerns, corrected misinterpretations of biblical or other texts from which inappropriate conclusions have been drawn,7 and endeavored to develop meaningful ways of addressing ecological degradation from their faith perspectives. A historian of environmental ethics recently characterized these efforts as the “greening of religion.”8 As a Roman Catholic systematics-ethics theologian who specializes in the constructive relationship between theology and the natural sciences, I am aware of the need for more “greening” of the Catholic faith. The ongoing degradation of Earth requires the fullest possible examination of our tradition in the quest for expressions of faith that are relevant to the condition of Earth, coherent with current knowledge about the world, and helpful for addressing the ecological concerns that plague our planet. Examining the tradition for expressions of faith that are not helpful is also vital, especially when beliefs or reflections on them are stilted or taken out of the contexts in which they were written. Promising Patristic...

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