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Associate Fellow Publishes New Book on Eco-Theology

17th November 2014

Centre Associate Fellow Dr Ryan Patrick McLaughlin has published a new work entitled Preservation and Protest: Theological Foundations for an Eco-Eschatological Ethics.  This is his second published book, following his February 2014 Palgrave Macmillan publicationChristian Theology and the Status of Animals: The Dominant Tradition and Its Alternatives.

In Preservation and Protest Ryan proposes a novel taxonomy of four paradigms of nonhuman theological ethics by exploring the intersection of tensions between value terms and teleological terms. McLaughlin systematically develops the paradigm of cosmocentric transfiguration, arguing that the entire cosmos shares in the eschatological hope of a harmonious participation in God’s triune life. With this paradigm, McLaughlin offers an alternative to anthropocentric and conservationist paradigms within the Christian tradition, an alternative that affirms both scientific claims about natural history and the theological hope for eschatological redemption.

Some of reviews of the book are below:

“This very thoughtful study will reward anyone who reads in ecotheology. It is distinguished by an especially helpful series of questions that organize previous work in an innovative way and by its theological integration of animal ethics with ecological ethics.”
—Willis Jenkins, University of Virginia

“Ryan Patrick McLaughlin offers the reader an excellent engagement with a number of key figures shaping a religious response to both general ecological challenges and concerns about animal species and suffering. He constructively engages the critically important work of Jürgen Moltmann and Andrew Linzey but also ranges widely to draw on the vision of Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Berry, and Maximus the Confessor to build a powerful case arguing that the Christian Church must develop an ethics dedicated to ecological preservation and protest against the practices that are currently pushing ecological degradation. His vision of a ‘cosmocentric transfiguration’ is powerful and inspiring.”
—William French, Loyola University Chicago 

“Preservation and Protest is an erudite and thought-provoking book. Clearly written, well researched, and very creative, this insightful volume not only identifies many important issues in ecological theology and ethics, but also offers a thought-provoking alternative to the usual approaches. I highly recommend it.”
—Steven Bouma-Prediger, Hope College