The Trinity and Creation in Augustine: An Ecological Analysis

Front Cover
State University of New York Press, Aug 7, 2008 - Religion - 208 pages
The first English-language book on Augustine's Trinitarian doctrine of creation, The Trinity and Creation in Augustine explores Augustine's relevance for contemporary environmental issues. Modern, environmentally conscious thinkers often see Augustine's doctrines in a negative light, feeling they have been used to justify humankind's domination of nature. Considering Augustine's thought in his own time and in ours, Scott A. Dunham offers a more nuanced view. He begins with a consideration of the major themes that have characterized ecologically sensitive theologies and Augustine's place in those discussions. The primary examination considers how Augustine's doctrine of the Trinity informed his interpretation of the opening chapters of Genesis, especially his conceptions of divine creation, providence, and dominion. This analysis of Augustine's Trinitarian interpretation of Genesis stands in contrast to recent characterizations of classical conceptions of creation. The book concludes with a discussion of Augustine's relevance for modern theological thought by appraising Augustine's Trinitarian doctrine of creation in relation to ecological themes in theological ethics.
 

Contents

Introduction
1
Part I
11
Part II
57
Conclusion
125
Notes
135

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2008)

Scott A. Dunham is Visiting Scholar and Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of New Brunswick.

Bibliographic information