Reconsider the Lilies: Challenging Christian Environmentalism's Colonial Legacy

by Andrew Thompson

Christian environmentalism's dominant traditions have for too long avoided decolonial thought's critical gaze. Reconsider the Lilies introduces readers to the ways environmental issues are shaped by dynamics of racism and colonialism and orients readers to Christian approaches to environmentalism. By recounting the history of environmental justice, Thompson shows how even well-intentioned Christian environmentalism incorporates racist and colonialist assumptions. Challenging Christian environmentalism's colonial roots requires incorporating the insights of decolonial thought toward a more pluralist, pragmatic approach to environmentalism, one that learns from communities struggling against environmental injustice in the face of ecological collapse. Reconsider the Lilies focuses on different conceptions of justice and structural sin and offers a constructive cosmic Christology that traces Christ's presence in the concrete relationships that exist among all living things. But for this Christ-centered conception of ecological community to be decolonial, it must focus less on doctrine and ideology, and more on incarnation and embodiment. It must welcome a broad range of knowledge and expression. Environmental theology can be decolonized. Ecological communities can be restored through healing broken relationships and power disparities by equalizing access to ecological power.

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185 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2023

Reviews

[Ryan Turnbull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really excellent primer on how the racialized logics of Whiteness structure much of Christian environmentalism. Would recommend as a good introduction to the topic. I could have hoped for a bit more constructive work on the authors part to deepen and extend the critique he borrows from other racialized scholars. The constructive chapter on christology was probably the weakest part and probably needed more space to develop as it mostly just gestures at possible resources like Gregerson, Maximus and Keller. Overall, worth the read and very valuable for a class on ecotheology.

[James R. Kimmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wide, deep, and timeless.

This book gave me new perspectives and better words to describe old perspectives. It is wide ranging and soundly based in both ecology and theology. Its synthesis is both sobering and encouraging. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in ecotheology because it brings a depth and relevance that has been overlooked but is essential.