Description
Environmental issues are an ever-increasing focus of public discourse and have proved concerning to religious groups as well as society more widely. Among biblical scholars, criticism of the Judeo-Christian tradition for its part in the worsening crisis has led to a small but growing field of study on ecology and the Bible. This volume in the Oxford Handbook series makes a significant contribution to this burgeoning interest in ecological hermeneutics, incorporating the best of international scholarship on ecology and the Bible. The Handbook comprises 30 individual essays on a wide range of relevant topics by established and emerging scholars. Arranged in four sections, the volume begins with a historical overview before tackling some key methodological issues. The second, substantial, section comprises thirteen essays offering detailed exegesis from an ecological perspective of selected biblical books. This is followed by a section exploring broader thematic topics such as the Imago Dei and stewardship. Finally, the volume concludes with a number of essays on contemporary perspectives and applications, including political and ethical considerations.The editors Hilary Marlow and Mark Harris have drawn on their experience in Hebrew Bible and New Testament respectively to bring together a diverse and engaging collection of essays on a subject of immense relevance. Its accessible style, comprehensive scope, and range of material means that the volume is a valuable resource, not only to students and scholars of the Bible but also to religious leaders and practitioners.
Table of Contents
AcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsList of ContributorsSection 1: Issues and MethodsIntroduction, Hilary Marlow and Mark Harris1. The Historical Roots of the Ecological Crisis, Jeremy H. Kidwell2. Ecological Hermeneutics. Origins, Approaches, and Prospects, David G. Horrell3. Ecological Feminist Hermeneutics, Anne Elvey4. Ecological Hermeneutics and Postcolonialism, Madipoane Masenya [Ngwan'a Mphahlele]5. Literary Ecocriticism and the Bible, Timothy J. BurberySection 2: Specific Biblical Texts6. Genesis, Ted Hiebert7. Leviticus, Deborah Rooke8. Deuteronomy, Raymond F. Person, Jr.9. Reading From the Ground Up. Nature in the Book of Isaiah, Hilary Marlow10. Re-viewing the Book of Jeremiah. An Ecological Perspective, Emily Colgan11. God's Good Land. The Agrarian Perspective of the Book of the Twelve, Laurie J. Braaten12. "Deep Calls to Deep". Ecology of Praise in the Psalms, William P. Brown13. The Book of Job, Kathryn Schifferdecker14. The Ecotheology of the Song of Songs, Ellen Bernstein15. Synoptic Gospels, Mark Harris16. John's Gospel, Susan Miller17. Pauline Epistles. Paul's Vision of Cosmic Liberation and Renewal, V.S. Balabanski18. Revelation, Micah D. KielSection 3: Thematic Studies19. Attitudes to Nature in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East, Ronald A. Simkins20. The Image of God in Ecological Perspective, J. Richard Middleton21. Ecology and Eschatology in the Second Temple Period, Christopher Rowland22. Stewardship. A Biblical Concept?, Mark Daniel Liederbach23. The Sea and Ecology, Rebecca S. Watson24. City as Sustainable Environment, Mary E. MillsSection 4: Contemporary Issues and Perspectives25. The Bible and Ecotheology. A Jewish Perspective, Julia Watts Belser26. The Bible and Wildlife Conservation, Dave Bookless27. The Bible and Environmental Ethics, Celia Deane-Drummond28. The Bible and Animal Theology, David L. Clough29. Creation Care and the Bible. An Evangelical Perspective, Daniel L. Brunner and A.J. Swoboda30. Climate Scepticism, Politics and the Bible, Benjamin S. Lowe, Rachel L. Lamb, and Noah J. Toly
