Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration: Orthodox Christian Perspectives on Environment, Nature, and Creation

Includes bibliographical references ( pages 415-467) and indexes.

Machine generated contents note: -- Contents -- Prefatory Letter by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew -- Foreword by Bill McKibben -- Introduction: "The Sweetness of Heaven Overflows onto the Earth": Orthodox Christianity and Environmental Thought -- John Chryssavgis and Bruce V. Foltz -- I. "Knowledge United to God": Environment, Nature, and Creation in Patristic Thought -- The Logoi of Beings in Greek Patristic Thought -- David Bradshaw -- Hierarchy and Love in St. Dionysius the Areopagite -- Eric D. Perl -- The Beauty of the World and Its Significance in St. Gregory the Theologian -- John Anthony McGuckin -- Natural Contemplation in St. Maximus the Confessor and St. Isaac the Syrian -- Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) -- Man and Cosmos in St. Maximus the Confessor -- Andrew Louth -- II. "The Heart That Receives": Environment, Nature, and Creation In Twentieth-Century Orthodox Thought -- Ecology, Theology, and the World -- Savas Agouridis -- Through Creation to the Creator -- Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia -- Creation as Communion in Contemporary Orthodox Theology -- Aristotle Papanikolaou -- The Theological-Ethical Contributions of Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov) to Environmental Issues -- Perry T. Hamalis -- The Cosmology of the Eucharist -- George Theokritoff -- "A 'Tradition' That Never Existed": Orthodox Christianity and the Failure of Environmental History -- Jurretta Jordan Heckscher -- A New Heaven and a New Earth: Orthodox Christian Insights from Theology, Spirituality, and the Sacraments -- John Chryssavgis -- Proprietors or Priests of Creation? -- Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon -- III. "Love Comes from Meeting God": Historical, Theological, and Philosophical Dimensions Sedimentation of Meaning in the Concepts of Nature and the Environment -- James Carey -- Existential versus Regulative Approaches: The Environmental Issue as an Existential and Not a Canonical Problem -- Christos Yannaras -- Nature and Creation: A Comment on the Environmental Problem from a Philosophical and Theological Standpoint -- Nikos Nissiotis -- Physis and Ktisis: Two Different Ways of Thinking of the World -- John Panteleimon Manoussakis -- Human Image, World Image: The Renewal of Sacred Cosmology -- Philip Sherrard -- Environment and Security: Toward a Systemic Crisis of Humanity? -- Costa Carras -- Church Walls and Wilderness Boundaries: Defining the Spaces of Sanctuary -- L. Michael Harrington -- Orthodoxy and Ecopoetics: The Green World in the Desert Sea -- Alfred K. Siewers -- Perspectives on Orthodoxy, Evolution, and Ecology -- Gayle E. Woloschak -- Ecology, Morality, and the Challenges of the Twenty-First Century: The Earth in the Hands of the Sons of Noah -- H. Tristram Engelhardt Jr. -- IV. "Sweetness Overflowing onto the Earth": Insights from Orthodox Spirituality -- The Fragile Surround -- Scott Cairns -- Liturgy, Cosmic Worship, and Christian Cosmology -- Elizabeth Theokritoff -- "All Creation Rejoices in You": Creation in the Liturgies for the Feasts of the Theotokos -- Christina M. Gschwandtner -- Traces of Divine Fragrance, Droplets of Divine Love: On the Beauty of Visible Creation -- Bruce V. Foltz -- Natural and Supernatural Revelation in Early Irish and Greek Monastic Thought: A Comparative Approach -- Chrysostomos Koutloumousianos -- Ecology and Monasticism -- Archimandrite Vasileios -- The Prophetic Charisma in Pastoral Theology: Asceticism, Fasting, and the Ecological Crisis -- Anestis Keselopoulos -- The Spirit of God Moved upon the Face of the Waters: Orthodox Holiness and the Natural World -- Donald Sheehan -- Appendixes -- A. Vespers for the Environment -- Translated by Archimandrite Ephrem (Lash) -- B. Environment, Nature, and Creation in Orthodox Thought: A Bibliography of Texts in English -- Compiled by John Chryssavgis and Bruce V. Foltz -- C. Glossary -- Compiled by Nicholas R. Anton -- Notes -- On the Contributors -- Index.

"Can Orthodox Christianity offer unique spiritual resources especially suited to the environmental concerns of today? This book makes the case that yes, it can. In addition to being the first substantial and comprehensive collection of essays, in any language, to address environmental issues from the Orthodox point of view, this volume with contributions from the most highly influential theologians and philosophers in contemporary world Orthodoxy will engage a wide audience, in academic as well as popular circles--resonating not only with Orthodox audiences but with all those in search of a fresh approach to environmental theory and ethics that can bring the resources of ancient spirituality to bear on modern challenges"-- Provided by publisher.

"Can Orthodox Christianity offer spiritual resources uniquely suited to the environmental concerns of today? This book makes the case emphatically that it can indeed. In addition to being the first substantial and comprehensive collection of essays, in any language, to address environmental issues from the Orthodox point of view, this volume (with contributions from many of the most influential theologians and philosophers in contemporary world Orthodoxy) will engage a wide audience, in academic as well as popular circles--resonating not only with Orthodox audiences but with all those in search of a fresh approach to environmental theory and ethics that can bring to bear the resources of ancient spirituality, often virtually unknown in the West, on modern challenges and dilemmas"-- Provided by publisher.