Synopses & Reviews
The first verse of Psalm 24 declares that the earth is the Lord's" because it was God who "founded it on the seas and established it over the waters." In The Earth Is the Lord's Dianne Bergant explains that if the rich and elaborate religious tradition in that statement misunderstood, it can deepen our appreciation of God's creative power. She examines the relationship between humans, the earth, and worshiping the Lord by focusing on ancient and contemporary beliefs as well as key passages from the Bible.
Chapter one, A New Worldview, discusses the connection between humans and earth, an open and critical dialogue between science and theology, and the idea that humans are not the center of the universe. Chapter two, Creation and Re-creation, focuses on the Sabbath, the sanctuary, a sacred time and place, and the image of God. Chapter three, Nature: Friend or Foe?, examines nature. Chapter four, Creation and Morality, takes a close look at morality. The final chapter, On That Day, discusses the day of the Lord, a new heaven and a new earth, and the Messianic Age.
Sister Dianne Bergant CSA, is Professor of Old Testament studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. The general editor of TheCollegeville Bible Commentary (Old Testament), she was editor of The Bible Today from 1986-1990."
Review
. . . a useful resource to add to the increasing material on creation and ecological concerns in the Old Testament.Society for Old Testament Study
Synopsis
The underlying premise of this study is captured in the first verse of Psalm 24, which states that "the earth is the LORD's" and no one else's. This is a major theological tenet that undergirds the biblical tradition. Insights from contemporary science prompt us to look anew at our understanding of the natural balance within the universe and at humankind as a manifestation of life within that universe. Theology calls us to reexamine the role that worship plays in our acknowledgment of these realities. After a discussion of some scientific principles, the book examines several biblical themes in order to discover how they might help to fashion a liturgical perspective that is faithful to biblical faith and contemporary in its eco-sensitivity.
About the Author
Dianne Bergant, CSA, is the Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She is a past president of the Catholic Biblical Association. Her many books include Scripture: History and Interpretation, the two New Collegeville Bible Commentary volumes on Psalms, and the two-volume Israel’s Story, all from Liturgical Press.