ePub The Mercenary Mediterranean: Sovereignty; Religion; and Violence in the Medieval Crown of Aragon by Hussein Fancy in History

Description

Controversial megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll proclaimed from a conference stage in 2013; “I know who made the environment and he’s coming back and going to burn it all up. So yes; I drive an SUV.” The comment; which Driscoll later explained away as a joke; highlights what has been a long history of religious anti-environmentalism. Given how firmly entrenched this sentiment has been; surprising inroads have been made by a new movement with few financial resources; which is deeply committed to promoting green religious traditions and creating a new environmental ethic. To Care for Creation chronicles this movement and explains how it has emerged despite institutional and cultural barriers; as well as the hurdles posed by logic and practices that set religious environmental organizations apart from the secular movement. Ellingson takes a deep dive into the ways entrepreneurial activists tap into and improvise on a variety of theological; ethical; and symbolic traditions in order to issue a compelling call to arms that mobilizes religious audiences. Drawing on interviews with the leaders of more than sixty of these organizations; Ellingson deftly illustrates how activists borrow and rework resources from various traditions to create new meanings for religion; nature; and the religious person’s duty to the natural world.