The Body of God: An Ecological Theology

This is a wonderful, wonderful, WONDERFUL book. Ms. McFague has done a more than admirable job of applying Whiteheadian process philosophy thinking to expand our consciousness of the critical need for the greatest ecological concern for every being on our good earth.. Though not a “tree hugger”, after reading this book I have become an evening “tree patter” saying goodnight and good wishes to a tree which is most likely the oldest tree on the grounds of my “Home”. Of particular significance is the author’s use of eliciting a belief in God as a procreationist-emanationist. I interpret this as God’s love for all of creation, from the Universe to the smallest flea. It will literally take your breath away, which, of course IS God’s gift to us.

This ecological theology makes the best sense of all the eco-theologies I've read. Her inclusive organic model can be used by men, women, lesbian, bisexual and gay people. This opened a new way of thinking for me that can make a difference not only in my life but hopefully also in the lives of the South Africans I will come into contact. But most important it changed my understanding of my place in the universe and in our beautiful country. Do yourself a favour, buy this book and study it. But be warned, your patriarchal mindset will be shattered. I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to study her other books that's on their way. Thank you Sallie.

this book showed up mangled and falling apart. The whole first chapter fell out when I opened the book.

Very good text for introducing or exploring ecofeminist theology.

I am not religious or spiritual, but this book gave me a good perspective on why some spiritual people are not enviromentalists... and why htey should be. I quote it all the time.

fantastic writing.

Excellent book

This was one of the first books I was required to read as part of my MDiv studies in a major mainline Protestant school of theology some years ago. While I stand impressed by the great intellectual effort that was put on display in this work, including a mentality of paradigm/world-building worthy of some of the greatest science-fiction or fantasy writers, it nonetheless is saturated with proposals incompatible with Christian orthodoxy. Those predisposed to process theology (at least where I was being taught) love this work, and those who have an axe to grind with fundamentalism or evangelicalism often gravitate to it as well. I deducted three stars for two reasons:1. It sells the idea that Christianity can be rehabilitated to fulfill the requirements of a particular socio-ecological-political agenda. That makes the Christian narrative subservient to another narrative, thereby gutting Christianity of its fundamental claims about the character of God, Creation, Gospel, Salvation, etc. The very act of doing this is to propose something that is not Christian at all, but perhaps “rhymes” with Christianity, or is more like a Jazz-style reflection off of Christianity. It does to Christianity what Hannibal Lecter did to one of his victims, taking his face off upon murdering him, and putting that face over his own. In this regard, this book is utterly useless for someone looking to deepen their own commitments to historic credal Christianity, outside of being a foil for those commitments.2. There are logical inconsistencies in the author’s proposals. The most glaring is her support of abortion as compatible with the idea of the earth (and all that dwells in and on it) as God’s body. She does not consider that out of seeking to affirm the value of plants and animals, elevating that value in the eyes of her readers, she also de-values all of human life as being no more valuable than the life of a paramecium, a microbe, or a virus, which in her own paradigm, are also part of God’s body. Nonetheless, she so values all life as part of God’s body, that this would logically make her proposals the most pro-life of any, such that no life could ever consciously ever be ended by the act of a human being, whether that be the life of a plant, a microbe, or a zygote. That or her proposals would justify the extermination of billions of humans, no matter their stage of development, for the sake of proper reverence for God’s body, the earth.Ultimately, if you want to educate yourself on the insanity of the fruit of what is being taught in many mainline seminaries and theology schools today, such that you are better informed as to why students at Union would be confessing their sins to plants as part of a chapel service, this is the book for you. It is an intellectually fascinating proposal, while also standing as theologically bankrupt from the perspective of orthodox Christianity as it has been known for nearly 2,000 years.

Interesting and thought provoking book on the immanence of God, more adapted to our present scientific knowledge.

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