Evan Pederick | University of Divinity (original) (raw)
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Papers by Evan Pederick
A quick glance at most 'general' handbooks of Christian ethics confirms Charles Bouchard's assert... more A quick glance at most 'general' handbooks of Christian ethics confirms Charles Bouchard's assertion that the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding Christian life is largely overlooked in post-Reformation thought. In this essay I will attempt a brief overview of thinking about the role of the Holy Spirit, suggesting that the application of pneumatology to ethical life depends both on the metaphysical shift (from ‘substance’ to ‘person’) and on the eschatological perspective.
In this thesis I develop the parallel noted by Ewert Cousins between Teilhard de Chardin’s evolut... more In this thesis I develop the parallel noted by Ewert Cousins between Teilhard de Chardin’s evolutionary Christology and the trinitarian theology of St Bonaventure, in order to develop a contemporary ecotheology. Teilhard’s anthropocentrism and determinism is corrected through an extension of his noosphere construct as a shared noetic space for a more-than-human ecology, identified as a site of both risk and potential reconciliation. I further develop the noosphere model by noting its congruence with Bonaventure’s vision of eschatological shalom, which proposes resurrection as the inauguration of a transformed creation. Although the application to ecotheology of Bonaventure’s trinitarian thought has been widely noted, the extended parallel with Teilhard’s evolutionary Christology enables it to be better applied to the contemporary ecological problem with its roots in the development of scientific models of evolution. Conversely, Teilhard’s neglect of trinitarian theology and failure ...
Colloquium, 2019
Beginning from a consideration of sacrifice in the Old Testament cult and New Testament sacrifici... more Beginning from a consideration of sacrifice in the Old Testament cult and New Testament sacrificial themes in Christology, this paper proposes sacrifice as a theme that weaves both human and non-human life into the life of God. In the cult described in Leviticus, sacrifice serves to connect and reconcile the community both internally and with God, situating human life within a sacralised more-than-human creation. This paper argues that sacrificial themes in Paul and Hebrews are constructed on a Wisdom Christology that connects creation and the cult, and so can offer a soteriology that includes the non-human creation. An important resource for the ecotheological approach to sacrifice is the Hebrews narrative of resurrection depicting a cosmic reconciliation of the entire created order in God, which this paper takes into conversation with Hans Urs von Balthasar's sacrificial Trinitarian theodrama of the Triduum. This paper concludes that creation and incarnation culminating in the death and resurrection of Christ comprise a single narrative of divine sacrifice for the life of the earth.
Anglican EcoCare Journal of Ecotheology, 2014
The crisis of global climate change, it is now becoming clear, is less about ‘getting the science... more The crisis of global climate change, it is now becoming clear, is less about ‘getting the science right’ and more about answering some ancient questions such as: ‘who are we?’, ‘what is our relationship to the Earth?’, and ‘how should we live?’. This paper argues that the challenge for contemporary theology is to offer new perspectives on self, community and creation that can meet the existential challenges of tectonic ecological and economic disruption. The language of Biblical apocalyptic is applied to the current situation, and an ecotheology based on the theme of shalom and the connection between resurrection and creation in the Gospel of John is proposed. The paper concludes by suggesting some ways in which the Church as the community of shalom may live out its vocation at a time of ecological crisis.
The Anglican EcoCare Journal of EcoTheology, 2016
I explore Teilhard de Chardin's concept of the noosphere as a resource for ecotheology. Teilhard'... more I explore Teilhard de Chardin's concept of the noosphere as a resource for ecotheology. Teilhard's Christocentric doctrine of creation suggests an application for ecotheology, but in his doctrine of human evolution and concept of the noosphere as the aggregation of human awareness Teilhard abandons his earlier commitment to a non-dualism of matter and spirit. I extend Teilhard's noosphere as a model for the more-than-human ecology that emphasises the interaction between ecological systems and human cultural and technological systems. The extended noosphere is congruent with current research in the biological sciences on information exchange and autopoiesis within ecological systems, and makes a strong connection with Biblical Wisdom themes. This model also allows Teilhard's vision of convergence on Christ-Omega to be expressed as the incarnation of relations of love within the more-than-human ecology.
Thesis Chapters by Evan Pederick
In this thesis I develop the parallel noted by Ewert Cousins between Teilhard de Chardin’s evolut... more In this thesis I develop the parallel noted by Ewert Cousins between Teilhard de Chardin’s evolutionary Christology and the trinitarian theology of St Bonaventure, in order to develop a contemporary ecotheology. Teilhard’s anthropocentrism and determinism is corrected through an extension of his noosphere construct as a shared noetic space for a more-than-human ecology, identified as a site of both risk and potential reconciliation. I further develop the noosphere model by noting its congruence with Bonaventure’s vision of eschatological shalom, which proposes resurrection as the inauguration of a transformed creation.
Although the application to ecotheology of Bonaventure’s trinitarian thought has been widely noted, the extended parallel with Teilhard’s evolutionary Christology enables it to be better applied to the contemporary ecological problem with its roots in the development of scientific models of evolution. Conversely, Teilhard’s neglect of trinitarian theology and failure to connect his Christ-Omega with the central Christian kerygma of crucifixion and resurrection is implicated in a deterministic and anthropocentric bias. This is corrected by bringing Teilhard’s evolutionary model into conversation with Bonaventure’s trinitarian theology.
My argument links a robust creation-centred Christology with a theoretical model for the more-than-human ecology, and connects human and divine wisdom with contemporary noetic models of ecological process. As a construct with a history of application in the life sciences, the noosphere provides a local and temporally proximate frame for theological dialogue with ecology. My extension of Teilhard’s noosphere underpins an ecological anthropology in which human existence is oriented towards Christ through dialogic relationship with all created things. By linking Bonaventure’s eschatological vision of shalom with the extended noosphere model the claim of convergence on Christ-Omega is made relevant for an ecotheology, and an ecotheological eschatology emerges within which creation is identified both as cruciform and as a site of redemptive transformation.
A quick glance at most 'general' handbooks of Christian ethics confirms Charles Bouchard's assert... more A quick glance at most 'general' handbooks of Christian ethics confirms Charles Bouchard's assertion that the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding Christian life is largely overlooked in post-Reformation thought. In this essay I will attempt a brief overview of thinking about the role of the Holy Spirit, suggesting that the application of pneumatology to ethical life depends both on the metaphysical shift (from ‘substance’ to ‘person’) and on the eschatological perspective.
In this thesis I develop the parallel noted by Ewert Cousins between Teilhard de Chardin’s evolut... more In this thesis I develop the parallel noted by Ewert Cousins between Teilhard de Chardin’s evolutionary Christology and the trinitarian theology of St Bonaventure, in order to develop a contemporary ecotheology. Teilhard’s anthropocentrism and determinism is corrected through an extension of his noosphere construct as a shared noetic space for a more-than-human ecology, identified as a site of both risk and potential reconciliation. I further develop the noosphere model by noting its congruence with Bonaventure’s vision of eschatological shalom, which proposes resurrection as the inauguration of a transformed creation. Although the application to ecotheology of Bonaventure’s trinitarian thought has been widely noted, the extended parallel with Teilhard’s evolutionary Christology enables it to be better applied to the contemporary ecological problem with its roots in the development of scientific models of evolution. Conversely, Teilhard’s neglect of trinitarian theology and failure ...
Colloquium, 2019
Beginning from a consideration of sacrifice in the Old Testament cult and New Testament sacrifici... more Beginning from a consideration of sacrifice in the Old Testament cult and New Testament sacrificial themes in Christology, this paper proposes sacrifice as a theme that weaves both human and non-human life into the life of God. In the cult described in Leviticus, sacrifice serves to connect and reconcile the community both internally and with God, situating human life within a sacralised more-than-human creation. This paper argues that sacrificial themes in Paul and Hebrews are constructed on a Wisdom Christology that connects creation and the cult, and so can offer a soteriology that includes the non-human creation. An important resource for the ecotheological approach to sacrifice is the Hebrews narrative of resurrection depicting a cosmic reconciliation of the entire created order in God, which this paper takes into conversation with Hans Urs von Balthasar's sacrificial Trinitarian theodrama of the Triduum. This paper concludes that creation and incarnation culminating in the death and resurrection of Christ comprise a single narrative of divine sacrifice for the life of the earth.
Anglican EcoCare Journal of Ecotheology, 2014
The crisis of global climate change, it is now becoming clear, is less about ‘getting the science... more The crisis of global climate change, it is now becoming clear, is less about ‘getting the science right’ and more about answering some ancient questions such as: ‘who are we?’, ‘what is our relationship to the Earth?’, and ‘how should we live?’. This paper argues that the challenge for contemporary theology is to offer new perspectives on self, community and creation that can meet the existential challenges of tectonic ecological and economic disruption. The language of Biblical apocalyptic is applied to the current situation, and an ecotheology based on the theme of shalom and the connection between resurrection and creation in the Gospel of John is proposed. The paper concludes by suggesting some ways in which the Church as the community of shalom may live out its vocation at a time of ecological crisis.
The Anglican EcoCare Journal of EcoTheology, 2016
I explore Teilhard de Chardin's concept of the noosphere as a resource for ecotheology. Teilhard'... more I explore Teilhard de Chardin's concept of the noosphere as a resource for ecotheology. Teilhard's Christocentric doctrine of creation suggests an application for ecotheology, but in his doctrine of human evolution and concept of the noosphere as the aggregation of human awareness Teilhard abandons his earlier commitment to a non-dualism of matter and spirit. I extend Teilhard's noosphere as a model for the more-than-human ecology that emphasises the interaction between ecological systems and human cultural and technological systems. The extended noosphere is congruent with current research in the biological sciences on information exchange and autopoiesis within ecological systems, and makes a strong connection with Biblical Wisdom themes. This model also allows Teilhard's vision of convergence on Christ-Omega to be expressed as the incarnation of relations of love within the more-than-human ecology.
In this thesis I develop the parallel noted by Ewert Cousins between Teilhard de Chardin’s evolut... more In this thesis I develop the parallel noted by Ewert Cousins between Teilhard de Chardin’s evolutionary Christology and the trinitarian theology of St Bonaventure, in order to develop a contemporary ecotheology. Teilhard’s anthropocentrism and determinism is corrected through an extension of his noosphere construct as a shared noetic space for a more-than-human ecology, identified as a site of both risk and potential reconciliation. I further develop the noosphere model by noting its congruence with Bonaventure’s vision of eschatological shalom, which proposes resurrection as the inauguration of a transformed creation.
Although the application to ecotheology of Bonaventure’s trinitarian thought has been widely noted, the extended parallel with Teilhard’s evolutionary Christology enables it to be better applied to the contemporary ecological problem with its roots in the development of scientific models of evolution. Conversely, Teilhard’s neglect of trinitarian theology and failure to connect his Christ-Omega with the central Christian kerygma of crucifixion and resurrection is implicated in a deterministic and anthropocentric bias. This is corrected by bringing Teilhard’s evolutionary model into conversation with Bonaventure’s trinitarian theology.
My argument links a robust creation-centred Christology with a theoretical model for the more-than-human ecology, and connects human and divine wisdom with contemporary noetic models of ecological process. As a construct with a history of application in the life sciences, the noosphere provides a local and temporally proximate frame for theological dialogue with ecology. My extension of Teilhard’s noosphere underpins an ecological anthropology in which human existence is oriented towards Christ through dialogic relationship with all created things. By linking Bonaventure’s eschatological vision of shalom with the extended noosphere model the claim of convergence on Christ-Omega is made relevant for an ecotheology, and an ecotheological eschatology emerges within which creation is identified both as cruciform and as a site of redemptive transformation.