Anna Case-Winters, Reconstructing a Christian Theology of Nature: Down to Earth (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007), 183 Pps., $89.95.
Anna Case-Winters is Professor of Theology at McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago. She is author of God’s Power: Traditional Understandings and Contemporary Challenges. Also, she has served on the Advisory Board for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion) and is currently on the Editorial Board of Zygon: Journal for Religion and Science. Within this title, Case-Winters argues that Christian tradition has a viable theology of nature to offer to contemporary society. This text dialogues with current criticisms of Christian tradition and invites a reconsideration of several problematic elements: the desacralization of nature; anthropocentrism to the neglect of the rest of nature; dualism and the elevation of the spiritual over material reality, and the habit of resisting scientific understandings of the natural world. The Christian theology of nature advanced by Case-Winters herein does not aspire to be a theology of nature for all people of all faiths – articulating a ‘universal’ view. Her location and the sources consulted are embedded in the particularities of the Christian faith tradition .
Case-Winters contends that our current ecological crisis makes it imperative that a new theology of nature be formulated. At the very least, the challenges being issued, according to her, invite theologians to reexamine theological constructions of God’s relation to the natural world and the place of the human being within the rest of nature. The first chapter asks the question of why we need a new theology of nature and proceeds to answer in terms of ‘the state of the world’. Both economic and ecological crises present a challenge for a faith that would be relevant and helpful in a ‘down to earth’ sort of way. The second chapter asks the question of why we need a new theology of nature and answers in terms of ‘the state of theology’. Therein, she argues that there are theological roots to our ecological crisis. The chapter does a brief review of five elements integral to Christian theology that contributed to the present crisis: 1) a lack of thematic attention to nature, 2) an overvaluation of history in contrast to nature, 3) anthropocentric creation stories, 4) the emphasis on ‘subduing’ nature to humanity, and 5) the desacralization of nature (21–23). Going beyond these initial criticisms three other perspectives are draw in to sharpen the critique: feminist theology, process thought, and contemporary science. The chapter then argues that either denial of the charges posed or easy acquiescence to them would constitute a “false start” that does not advance the project of formulating a theology of nature that is both relevant and Christian. A posture identified as “critical engagement” seems to hold more promise.
Chapter three seeks to establish that Christian theology of nature, though in need of critique and reconstruction, is not utterly lacking of the requisite resources to address the challenges raised. The argument is conducted from a standpoint within Reformed tradition where, some would argue, the case is the most difficult to make. The chapter begins with Barth, and then looks back to Calvin and forward to Moltmann (and Reformed contemporaries) examining the theological challenges and contributions of this stream of Christian tradition and it present trajectory. Particularly, she employs at length the positions of Moltmann regarding kenosis and the pouring out of the Spirit of God into creation (57–59). Chapter four surveys insights from ecofeminist perspectives. Ecofeminism generally faults Christian tradition for buying into a hierarchical dualism that sets man over woman, culture over nature, and mind over body in ways that are mutually reinforcing and destructive in their effect. The ‘logic of domination’ underlies the system and yields a web of oppressions. Within this web, the oppression of women and the oppression of nature are intrinsically linked. The hierarchical dualistic system as a whole must be dismantled, she contends, for the sake of social justice and ecological responsibility.
Case-Winters, in chapter five, examines the critique of classical theism offered by process theology. She notes that the perfections ascribed to God have been defined over against the natural world (God is eternal, the world is temporal; God is immutable, the world is changing, etc.). The chapter then draws in resources from process theology for reconstructing a Christian theology of nature. She argues that there are three considerations essential for a viable theology of nature and for the work of ecojustice that are illumined by Whitehead’s philosophy: the alterity of nature, the integrity of nature, and the subject status of nature. In this chapter, she notes how God is the ground of both order and novelty within nature (86). She asserts that without some alterity, it is difficult to speak of God’s otherness from the world. Regarding the integrity of nature, Case-Winters supports Whitehead in contending that God is not the all powerful entity, but is instead the leader of the creative advance in nature. Concerning the subject status of nature, she acknowledges that Whitehead was correct in affirming that physical and mental poles are present in all actual entities (96).
Chapter six surveys the renewed dialogue between religion and science in hopes of a mutually illumining engagement. She contends that being fully conversant with science is essential for a responsible theology of nature. The constructive portion of the chapter draws upon what science has learned about the place of human beings in relation to the rest of nature to re-think the meaning of the theological affirmation that human beings are made ‘in the image of God’. Chapter seven elaborates a constructive proposal regarding how one may understand the relation between God and the world. Case-Winters argues for process panentheism as having advantages. The constructive portion of the chapter illustrates how process panentheism opens up new ways of understanding God’s presence and activity in the world. Divine activity in the world is rethought in terms of its creative interaction, divine accompanying , and persuasive luring. Chapter eight reviews the ever present challenge that a Christian theology of nature must address. Then the chapter proceeds to draw out the ethical implications of what has preceded.
The present project joins the efforts to formulate a more viable Christian theology of nature. In the process, it engages conversation partners that have been sharply critical and particularly insightful (feminist theology, process thought, and the religion and science dialogue). The criticisms and insights of these partners help to shape a proposal for a reconstructed theology of nature that can more effectively fund our struggle for the fate of the earth. In a note of criticism, I found the plentiful grammatical and subject/verb agreement errors to be distracting from her task, errors that should have been caught and revised in the editorial process. This scenario seems not to be indicative to Ashgate as a whole, as I have read the numerous titles in this series, as well as others by the publisher. Nevertheless, this slight criticism aside, I heartily recommend this title for perusal by those who possess interests in the science and religion dialogue.
Bradford McCall
Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA.