ISBN Creation as Sacrament (Reflections on Ecology and Spirituality)

John Chryssavgis explores the sacredness of the natural environment and the significance of creation in the rich theological history and spiritual experience of the Orthodox Church, through the lens of its unique ascetical, liturgical and mystical experience. The global ecological crisis affecting our air, water, and land, as well as the planet's flora and fauna, has resulted in manifest fissures on the image of God in creation. Earth as Sacrament examines from an Orthodox Christian perspective the possibility of restoring that shattered image through the sacramental lenses of cosmic transfiguration, cosmic interconnection, and cosmic reconciliation. The viewpoints of early theologians and contemporary thinkers on these themes are explored extensively from a theological and spiritual perspective, including countering those who deny that God's creation is in crisis. The goal of the book is to induce personal and societal transformation in making ethical and economic choices that respect creation as sacrament.