"Evocations of Grace" gathers ten major writings by pioneering ecological theologian Joseph Sittler. Foundational to the field, these essays argue powerfully for the vital connection between Christian theology, ethics and the natural world. They provide the necessary perspective for thinking seriously about the earth and believers' responsibility to it.

Joseph A. Sittler (1904-1987) was one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century, distinguished for his pioneering work in ecology and for his preeminence as a preacher. He gave both the Beecher Lectures at Yale and the Noble Lectures at Harvard. As the "preacher's theologian," Sittler approached the interpretation of Scripture with a clear understanding of current critical scholarship, but also in the freedom of the gospel at the center of Scripture and with the humility of a theologian of the cross. In following the trajectory of the text into the preaching situation he gave a lively, timeless, and eloquent expression to the fact that the interpretation of texts is in the service of proclamation.This collection of readings from Sittler's rich legacy contains a great many presentations and sermons that have never before appeared in print. Theologically serious preaching, close attention to language, engagement with the best of sacred and secular culture, and a deep respect for the text, all characteristics of Sittler's work, are the sort of features that continue to edify. They remain as benchmarks for good preaching even as styles and contexts evolve.

Looks at how ecotheology has created a new vision of the natural world and the place of humans within it.

How we come to our conclusions about ethical issues matters as much as the specific policies or practices we commend. This book argues that four key doctrines form a theological perspective for environmental ethics. They are the key ideas upon which people build their ethics of the environment. By looking at the doctrines of revelation, creation, anthropology, and eschatology, we can find points of contact to work together more effectively for the common good and have more meaningful debates when our positions differ. This book uses examples from four different theological positions—ecotheology, theological liberalism, fundamentalism, and evangelicalism—to show that a creation-positive ethic is possible from all of these positions, and it explores why people who stand within various theological streams may engage in environmental issues in diverse ways.

Grace Jantzen was an internationally-renowned feminist philosopher of religion whose work has transformed the way we think about the interactions between religion, culture and gender in Western culture. Jantzen's aim was to 'redeem the present' via a critique and reconstruction of staple concepts of the Western imaginary. This unique book brings together many of Grace Jantzen's colleagues and former students in a wide-ranging exploration of her enduring influence, ranging across philosophy of religion, to literature, psychoanalysis, theology, ethics and politics. Part I assesses the ramifications of Jantzen's affirmation that Western culture must 'choose life' in preference to a prevailing symbolic of violence and death. Part II explores some of the key voices which contributed to Jantzen's understanding of a culture of flourishing and natality: Quaker thought and practice, medieval mysticism and feminist spirituality. Further essays apply elements of Jantzen's work to the politics of disability, development and environmentalism, extending her range of influence into new and innovative areas.

Sometimes it is helpful to take one step backward, in order to take two steps forward. In this insightful volume, H. Paul Santmire draws on his long-standing and widely recognized engagement with ecological theology to propose that the traditions of the Protestant Reformation, rightly read, offer rich resources today for those who are struggling to move forward to respond theologically to the crisis of a planet in peril and thereby to celebrate nature by faith.

This substantially revised and updated edition provides the most thorough evangelical treatment available on a theology of creation care.

The essays in this volume offer a range of perspectives on the theme of grace.Drawing on the best of contemporary biblical, historical and theological scholarship, the contributors consider the role played by the theme of grace in the Christian tradition, its importance and some implications for today. A number of essays pay special attention to the significance of the theme of grace within Methodism.As a whole, the volume testifies to the diverse ways in which divine grace enables and shapes patterns of graceful living in the world. Topics covered include: Pauline perspectives on grace, the theme of grace in Wesleyan hymnody, grace in the theology of Barth, Rahner and de Lubac, the relationship between Christian understandings of grace, universalism and other religious traditions, the implications of grace for understanding creation care, ministry practice, spirituality and work.Together, the essays honour the life and ministry of Emeritus Professor Norman Young, whose own theological work has been devoted to exploring the 'mystery which we discern as the way of grace' and who offers an account of his own theological journey within the volume's concluding personal reflections.

This vol., while encompassing the entire reign of Louis XIV & all the parlements of the realm, has the narrow focus of investigating the impact of royal policy on the judicial authority of the parlements as revealed in their relations with the king's councils, notably the one that specialized in judicial affairs, the Conseil Prive. This is above all a study of the evolution of conciliar jurisprudence & judicial procedure, as much an exercise in what the French call "l'histoire du droit" as an opportunity to observe in a novel way the resolution of some of the most pressing political problems in the Age of Louis XIV. But the overall aim is to understand the practical consequences of royal absolutism for the kingdom's highest judicial institutions.

French legal developments are traced through variouys periods.