A New Climate for Christology
Kenosis, Climate Change, and Befriending Nature
- Theology
- Publisher: Fortress Press (Augsburg Fortress)
- Published: 2021
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Publisher's Description
For decades, Sallie McFague lent her voice and her theological imagination to addressing and advocating for the most important issues of our time. In doing so, she influenced an entire generation and empowered countless people in their efforts to put religion in the service of meeting human needs in difficult times. In this final book, finished in the year before her death in 2019, McFague summarizes the work of a lifetime with a clear call to live in "such a way that all might flourish." The way, she argues, is the "kenotic interpretation of Christianity: the odd arrangement whereby in order to gain your life, you must lose it. The way of the cross is total self-emptying so that one can receive life, real life, and then pass this life on." A masterful and life-giving summing-up of a theology that makes a profound difference for us, our communities, and our planet.
Endorsements (4)
“The late Sallie McFague left us with yet one more amazing gift. In her usual inimitable, clear, and compelling prose, McFague offers Christians a response to the existential threat that climate change poses to our planet and all of its inhabitants. Science and theology share a common story, she demonstrates: that all of creation is relational and interdependent—in life and death. Dying gives rise to new life—at every level—and embodies the self-emptying love of the Trinitarian God. May we follow her exhortation to embrace our place in the cycle of life and love so that this vibrant world may flourish.”
“Sallie McFague—¡Presente! While she may no longer be with us, her words and her wisdom continue to challenge us in this posthumous book. Moving beyond the misused story of sinners before an angry God, McFague invites us to a relational dance with creation and divinity as the means of finding salvation not just for humanity, but also for our planet. Failure to live into this kenosis calling condemns us and the earth we occupy. The insightful challenge McFague gives in A New Climate for Christology demands our full consideration.”
“A breathtaking—and breath-giving—regeneration of the ancient symbol of kenosis as a rigorously ecological practice. In concert with postmodern relationalism and natural science, the troubling teaching of sacrificial love converges with the life-and-death cycle of evolution. A great parting gift to Christians confronting the current climate turning point.”
“Sallie McFague’s last gift to theological discourse should spur Christians to think realistically about our relatedness to other species and systems of Earth and to act responsibly to mitigate the climate crisis. Culminating her impressive metaphorical efforts to replace the individualistic, anthropocentric, and power-controlling view of our species that has dominated some Protestant theologies, she proffers a poignant alternative— kenotic self-sacrifice. When sacrificing our desires so other people and species can secure their needs for survival, we become ‘truly adults’ who seriously consider the imperiled condition of Earth, love other creatures as friends, and participate in the life of God who is the ultimate loving friend of all. “Not to be missed in A New Climate for Christology are McFague’s poignant interpretation of the doctrine of the Incarnation to include the entirety of creation and her turn from the Cartesian ‘I think; therefore, I am’ to ‘I relate; therefore, I am.’ Her message resonates with Pope Francis, who has been underscoring the interconnection of all creatures, the need for conversion from self-centered attitudes to acceptance of ecological responsibility, and the imperative to act locally to facilitate the flourishing of our common home.”
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