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Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth
If we are blowing our Franciscan horn here, it should have been blown much earlier and much louder! This is the wisdom that our world so desires and needs today. We can no longer see ourselves as separate from the 'great chain of being,' and we can no longer see this as a non-religious issue. Francis intuited all of this 800 years ago. —Father Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Three of the greatest minds in Franciscan theology, Ilia Delio, O.S.F., Franciscan Keith Douglass Warner, O.F.M., and Pamela Wood, come together to discuss one of the greatest crises of our time—the destruction of the Earth. This book takes both a theological and practical approach to developing a Franciscan spirituality of the earth. Four sections highlight the distinct relationships creation has with the incarnation, community, contemplation and conversion. In this meticulously researched book, the authors propose ways in which we can all understand our own roles in relationship to the Earth and ways in which we can make it better.
Each section offers reflective action opportunities designed to bring the book's ecological and theological insights into the reader's daily life and nurture a Franciscan spirituality of the earth. Prayers, meditations, spiritual practices and group activities are offered which provide a practical hands-on approach to reconnecting with the earth and acting in right relationship.
"Earth, with all its creatures, is in crisis. And responding to this crisis will require every possible resource of our human community. One of the most precious of these resources is the Franciscan tradition. It is a joy to welcome this book as a wise, thoughtful, inspiring and practical contribution to ecological theology, grounded in ancient Christian tradition that sees Earth as our sister and mother. Care for Creation is part of a wider retrieval of Franciscan theology for our new time, but is unique in this blend of three interrelated disciplines, scientifically informed ecology, theology and the practice of reflective action." —From the Foreword by Denis Edwards
Three of the greatest minds in Franciscan theology, Ilia Delio, O.S.F., Franciscan Keith Douglass Warner, O.F.M., and Pamela Wood, come together to discuss one of the greatest crises of our time—the destruction of the Earth. This book takes both a theological and practical approach to developing a Franciscan spirituality of the earth. Four sections highlight the distinct relationships creation has with the incarnation, community, contemplation and conversion. In this meticulously researched book, the authors propose ways in which we can all understand our own roles in relationship to the Earth and ways in which we can make it better.
Each section offers reflective action opportunities designed to bring the book's ecological and theological insights into the reader's daily life and nurture a Franciscan spirituality of the earth. Prayers, meditations, spiritual practices and group activities are offered which provide a practical hands-on approach to reconnecting with the earth and acting in right relationship.
"Earth, with all its creatures, is in crisis. And responding to this crisis will require every possible resource of our human community. One of the most precious of these resources is the Franciscan tradition. It is a joy to welcome this book as a wise, thoughtful, inspiring and practical contribution to ecological theology, grounded in ancient Christian tradition that sees Earth as our sister and mother. Care for Creation is part of a wider retrieval of Franciscan theology for our new time, but is unique in this blend of three interrelated disciplines, scientifically informed ecology, theology and the practice of reflective action." —From the Foreword by Denis Edwards
236 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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152 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 7, 2017
Also read this for EfM. I chose a rating of 3 stars based on my own experience of it, but I think my EfM group would've been between 3 and 4.
Not surprisingly, our group of 10 (plus mentor) skews more environmentally conscious than the general population, including electric-car drivers, retired science teachers and professors, people who read Michael Pollan and watch Planet Earth in their spare time, etc. Seems like they appreciated the opportunity to calculate their carbon footprints and being reminded of the nature of climate science, consumerism, and biodiversity issues, even if some of that info is now a bit dated. (The book was published in 2008.) The group struggled with the theological chapters--our mentor's attempts to get us to discuss them often led to conversational digressions or a short conversation ending in silence--something rare for our group. One person pointed out that "interdependence" was the theme of the book, which I appreciated. Another noted that "creation predates Jesus," which made the trinitarian arguments about creation hard for him to accept.
Like some of the other members of the group, I struggled with the theological chapters--both comprehending them and getting through them, since they felt somewhat repetitive. And while I appreciate what the publisher was trying to do with having chapters written from different perspectives (theology, science, action), they weren't as synergistic as intended, and in fact, sometimes they were at cross purposes. For example, one science chapter held up Great Britain and Germany as western cultures with much smaller environmental footprints than the U.S.--but I don't think either of those cultures is any more "contemplative" than the U.S. on the whole (the gist of the theology chapters), so other factors must be at play in why they are so much more responsible with their resources (including much smaller geographical 'footprints' to work with!). The group struggled with the tension between the individual conversion recommended and the need for mass policy solutions. Of course, we should all be as responsible as possible as individuals, perhaps inspired by a Franciscan perspective on creation, but we also need our policymakers to acknowledge our interdependence with creation, which seems like a very hard sell these days.
P.S. A friend just posted this article by Bill McKibben on Facebook, that shows how his thinking on environmental issues has shifted over the past decade or so. It corroborates how I feel about individual vs. collective action, and thus my gripes about this book. Not that "contemplation" can't inspire lots of people to act collectively--but there surely are other possible motivations to become involved in environmental causes, too: http://www.resilience.org/stories/201...
Not surprisingly, our group of 10 (plus mentor) skews more environmentally conscious than the general population, including electric-car drivers, retired science teachers and professors, people who read Michael Pollan and watch Planet Earth in their spare time, etc. Seems like they appreciated the opportunity to calculate their carbon footprints and being reminded of the nature of climate science, consumerism, and biodiversity issues, even if some of that info is now a bit dated. (The book was published in 2008.) The group struggled with the theological chapters--our mentor's attempts to get us to discuss them often led to conversational digressions or a short conversation ending in silence--something rare for our group. One person pointed out that "interdependence" was the theme of the book, which I appreciated. Another noted that "creation predates Jesus," which made the trinitarian arguments about creation hard for him to accept.
Like some of the other members of the group, I struggled with the theological chapters--both comprehending them and getting through them, since they felt somewhat repetitive. And while I appreciate what the publisher was trying to do with having chapters written from different perspectives (theology, science, action), they weren't as synergistic as intended, and in fact, sometimes they were at cross purposes. For example, one science chapter held up Great Britain and Germany as western cultures with much smaller environmental footprints than the U.S.--but I don't think either of those cultures is any more "contemplative" than the U.S. on the whole (the gist of the theology chapters), so other factors must be at play in why they are so much more responsible with their resources (including much smaller geographical 'footprints' to work with!). The group struggled with the tension between the individual conversion recommended and the need for mass policy solutions. Of course, we should all be as responsible as possible as individuals, perhaps inspired by a Franciscan perspective on creation, but we also need our policymakers to acknowledge our interdependence with creation, which seems like a very hard sell these days.
P.S. A friend just posted this article by Bill McKibben on Facebook, that shows how his thinking on environmental issues has shifted over the past decade or so. It corroborates how I feel about individual vs. collective action, and thus my gripes about this book. Not that "contemplation" can't inspire lots of people to act collectively--but there surely are other possible motivations to become involved in environmental causes, too: http://www.resilience.org/stories/201...
April 5, 2017
I read this as part of the EFM program, to be honest I probably would not have chosen it by myself to read.
As far as my impression of it, I erred on the side of generosity with my rating. The writing is quite good, and full of deep concepts concerning the relationship between humanity and the rest of creation. There is a lot of theology deeply rooted in the Franciscan tradition and illustrated by stories from the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. The practical exercises and guided meditations give the reader a change to more deeply participate in the message of Christian ecological care.
Unfortunately there are some portions that some may find confrontational to the modern evangelical theology of rulership over creation. This is probably informed more by my own history with the evangelical movement than by any bias of the authors'.
Overall a good book, that I enjoyed more than I thought I would.
As far as my impression of it, I erred on the side of generosity with my rating. The writing is quite good, and full of deep concepts concerning the relationship between humanity and the rest of creation. There is a lot of theology deeply rooted in the Franciscan tradition and illustrated by stories from the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. The practical exercises and guided meditations give the reader a change to more deeply participate in the message of Christian ecological care.
Unfortunately there are some portions that some may find confrontational to the modern evangelical theology of rulership over creation. This is probably informed more by my own history with the evangelical movement than by any bias of the authors'.
Overall a good book, that I enjoyed more than I thought I would.
July 10, 2017
I read this book for my EfM class. I found the sections on climate change based on studies and science convincing. But I am an environmental lawyer so I was predisposed to that viewpoint. I found the discussion of Franciscan theology and its stated imperative to support climate change studies and to require all of us to take steps to reduce our carbon footprint less convincing, not because i don't agree with it (I do) but because it was presented in a disjointed and confusing fashion. The clarity of the scientific processes with research- based conclusions did not mesh well with Franciscan theological discussions. I did like the meditations as well as the listing of concrete actions we can take to reduce our carbon footprint, although those steps are more familiar to all of us than they were when the book was written in 2008.
June 13, 2017
Read for EfM. Rating would be 3.5 stars. I liked the premise and could not agree more with the idea of the importance of caring for all of creation and that it is something all Christians should do. The idea of rooting it in Franciscan theology was appealing. I enjoyed most of the read, but the book was very repetitive and could have been edited down, or had more material for the current length. After while I felt that I was mainly re-reading statements already made.
February 22, 2020
Perhaps a bit repetitive, but this book offers wonderful insight into the Franciscan perspective/spirituality/theology on God’s Creation and our place in it. It was recommended to me by the leadership in the Franciscan Order I’m part of. I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in this area.
January 16, 2024
insightful
A text that is upfront and honest about the importance of humans awakening to the truth of our existence and thereby making it clear that it should be our mission to focus on protecting our earth and the creatures not only because they are gifts from the Divine, but also because it is the will of the Holy One to love and protect our precious world.
A text that is upfront and honest about the importance of humans awakening to the truth of our existence and thereby making it clear that it should be our mission to focus on protecting our earth and the creatures not only because they are gifts from the Divine, but also because it is the will of the Holy One to love and protect our precious world.
October 12, 2025
Somewhat disappointed, but OK for an introduction to Green Spirituality & Practice.
May 18, 2017
This is a book I would never have come across had it not been assigned as part of Education for Ministry. I am glad to have read this. The writers offer a clearly-written study of environmental care that is rooted in St. Francis.
While I am deeply concerned about the damage to our environment — and my recycling regimen has reached OCD level — I knew little about eco-theology until reading Care for Creation. Included are meditations and reflections on what we as individuals can do to reduce our carbon footprints.
It was lovely to re-read Francis' Canticle of the Creatures in this context.
There were many passages that stood out. Here are a few:
Francis realized that God humbly bends low in love and hides in simple, ordinary, fragile beings. So, too, we must realize that God is in our midst.
Francis was a brother to all creation; he was not a steward. He did not view elementary animals as something for which he was responsible but rather as brothers and sisters to which he related.
While I am deeply concerned about the damage to our environment — and my recycling regimen has reached OCD level — I knew little about eco-theology until reading Care for Creation. Included are meditations and reflections on what we as individuals can do to reduce our carbon footprints.
It was lovely to re-read Francis' Canticle of the Creatures in this context.
There were many passages that stood out. Here are a few:
Francis realized that God humbly bends low in love and hides in simple, ordinary, fragile beings. So, too, we must realize that God is in our midst.
Francis was a brother to all creation; he was not a steward. He did not view elementary animals as something for which he was responsible but rather as brothers and sisters to which he related.
May 4, 2021
Reading this was compulsory for my Education for Ministry course.
While I appreciate the approach put forward in the text, the repetitive writing got in the way of being able to engage the content. It was not edited well. It was also patronizing and at times employed shaming to get the reader to take heed of the author's assertions.
As a non-Roman catholic I could have used more practical sections on HOW to live this out. One sentence actually told the reader to do their own research about certain practices.
Despite the book's clumsiness. I'm glad to have read it, it has moved me to think more about my own care for Creation.
While I appreciate the approach put forward in the text, the repetitive writing got in the way of being able to engage the content. It was not edited well. It was also patronizing and at times employed shaming to get the reader to take heed of the author's assertions.
As a non-Roman catholic I could have used more practical sections on HOW to live this out. One sentence actually told the reader to do their own research about certain practices.
Despite the book's clumsiness. I'm glad to have read it, it has moved me to think more about my own care for Creation.
March 23, 2019
Although I saw multiple webinars with Sister Ilia, this was the first book with her authorship for me. It is steeped in the Franciscan Charism and a wonderful introduction to her other books. I belong to an Environmental Justice Ministry for my Diocese and we use this book as our "text."
June 23, 2016
This book is being used as an interlude next year (2016-2017). So, I wanted to get a good jump on it. Reading it has given me a much richer understanding of the Franciscan Theology and theology of creation. I am glad I read it.
August 31, 2012
Great book on environment and care for it.
April 1, 2017
A bit repetitive but overall well written and actionable items noted.
April 5, 2017
I have two groups of EfM students, and the consensus they all reached (not led by me) was that while they agreed with the general premises of the book, in fact were part of the choir, so to speak, the book itself was repetitive and could have been much better done. The sense that it would have made an excellent article, and could have used some heavy-duty editing. The topic did lead to a great general discussion about these important issues of our time.
April 10, 2017
For EfM: nothing new for me in this book, but ok review of Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth.
I did the Carbon Footprint "test" on the EPA web-site and was shocked that I'm not doing better. Need to update my appliances/AC system--big ticket items to help me along.
I did the Carbon Footprint "test" on the EPA web-site and was shocked that I'm not doing better. Need to update my appliances/AC system--big ticket items to help me along.
April 15, 2017
I had to read this book for a class (EFM) that I'm taking. I enjoyed it but they diffenatly left out important information that they talked about in this book. I had to go to the end of chapters and look things up that they sited on the internet. Some things I just had to search out so I could understand and answer the questions that the authors posed. Also the are a bit preachy about the trinity and Jesus. But in fairness it is written by Franciscans-says so right in the title so I knew what I was getting into. It does limit who I can recommend this book to which is a shame because it is one of the few books that doesn't make you feel like an evil being because you live your life in the real world. It gives practical information on how to find ways to help the earth.
April 19, 2017
What we have here is a very passionate plea for Christians to engage in the issues of sustainability and the environment. The science is unconvincing and the general argument is about 150 pages too long. That said, simply replacing the words "nature" or "environment" with the word "creation" is enough to properly re-frame this conversation from a secular issue to a compelling part of our faithful stewardship. Christians absolutely need to step up our participation in this conversation- it is not a partisan issue.
May 3, 2017
Repetitive at times which makes it hard to plow through in places. Theological basis for why we should be concerned with caring for the earth/creation. Practical ways to assess our current levels of consumption, the immorality of a large ecological footprint, and how to reduce our consumption through spiritual, mindful, and action based changes.
June 12, 2017
Repetitive
Nice love story to St Francis.
Nice love story to St Francis.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews