When God Was a Bird - (Groundworks: Ecological Issues in Philosophy and Theology) by Mark I Wallace (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In a time of rapid climate change and species extinction, what role have the world's religions played in ameliorating-or causing-the crisis we now face? One can point to Christianity's otherworldly theologies, which privilege our spiritual aspirations over our natural origins, as bearing a disproportionate burden for creating humankind's exploitative attitudes toward nature.

And yet, buried deep within the Christian tradition are startling portrayals of God as the beaked and feathered Holy Spirit-the "animal God" of historic Christian witness. Through biblical readings, historical theology, continental philosophy, and personal stories of sacred nature, this book recovers the Christian God as a creaturely, avian being promiscuously incarnated within all things.

This beautifully and accessibly written book shows that "Christian animism" is not a contradiction in terms but Christianity's natural habitat. Challenging traditional Christianity's self-definition as an otherworldly religion, Wallace paves the way for a new Earth-loving spirituality grounded in the ancient image of an animal God who signals the presence of spirit in everything, human and more-than-human alike.

From the Back Cover

"Seldom do I read a book with such verve and audacity as When God Was a Bird. Mark Wallace has given us a treasure, almost in the form of a parable, because if God is manifest in a bird--the Holy Spirit as dove--where else might God be found? And what might that radical, even creation-wide incarnation of God mean for us today? Highly recommended."--Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration

"This book brings forth a luminous animism for all to see, previously hidden in the scriptures and traditions of Christianity yet embedded in the body of the Earth itself. We are all indebted to Mark Wallace who has given us a masterpiece of eco-theology rendered in the most elegant and accessible poetic language. A gift for years to come!"--Mary Evelyn Tucker, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology

In a time of rapid climate change and species extinction, what role have the world's religions played in ameliorating--or causing--the crisis we now face? One can point to Christianity's otherworldly theologies, which privilege our spiritual aspirations over our natural origins, as bearing a disproportionate burden for creating humankind's exploitative attitudes toward nature.

And yet, buried deep within the Christian tradition are startling portrayals of God as the beaked and feathered Holy Spirit--the "animal God" of historic Christian witness. Through biblical readings, historical theology, continental philosophy, and personal stories of sacred nature, this book recovers the Christian God as a creaturely, avian being promiscuously incarnated within all things.

This beautifully and accessibly written book shows that "Christian animism" is not a contradiction in terms, but Christianity's natural habitat. Challenging traditional Christianity's self-definition as an otherworldly religion, Wallace paves the way for a new Earth-loving spirituality grounded in the ancient image of an animal God who signals the presence of spirit in everything, human and more-than-human alike.

Mark I. Wallace is Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies at Swarthmore College and the author, most recently, of Green Christianity: Five Ways to a Sustainable Future.

Review Quotes

. . .Wallace raises important points for eco-theology and challenges the status quo in contemporary and traditional pneumatology. As such, theologians, Bible scholars, clergy, and seminary students would do well to read this book.-- "Religious Studies Review"

Mark Wallace argues that 'Christian animism' is not a contradiction in terms. In doing so, he opens new lines of exploration and insight that have the potential to spark fundamental changes in the ways animists and Christians think of each other and themselves. An important contribution.---Norman Wirzba, Duke Divinity School

Seldom do I read a book with such verve and audacity as When God Was a Bird. Mark Wallace has given us a treasure, almost in the form of a parable, because if God is manifest in a bird--the Holy Spirit as dove--where else might God be found? And what might that radical, even creation-wide incarnation of God mean for us today? Highly recommended---Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration

This book brings forth a luminous animism for all to see, previously hidden in the scriptures and traditions of Christianity yet embedded in the body of the Earth itself. We are all indebted to Mark Wallace who has given us a masterpiece of eco-theology rendered in the most elegant and accessible poetic language. A gift for years to come!---Mary Evelyn Tucker, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology

A striking meditation on what it is to be human in a divine world...-- "H-Net Reviews"

When God Was a Bird combines personal stories, nature writing, biblical interpretations, historical theology, and Continental philosophy. As such, a wide range of readers will find it interesting and accessible. It is also beautifully written. The book not only is a provocative treatment of the subject matter but also displays the unflagging generosity with which Wallace treats his students, his colleagues, his scholarly sources, and his readers. Wallace demonstrates not only how to treat the natural world but also how to treat one another.-- "Reading Religion"

...Wallace believes there's an animistic understanding of the world deep within Christianity--and that it's vital we recover it now. An anthropocentric Christianity has helped create the conditions for our planetary ecological crisis. Only once we recognize the spirit of God in wood thrushes and great blue herons, says Wallace, will we be able to respond appropriately.-- "Broadview Magazine"

...Wallace's proposals remain intriguing and his work demonstrates the importance of further engagement with, and analysis of, the relationship between Christianity and indigenous religions, animism and environmentalism.-- "Environmental Values"

A good blend of theological exploration and personal accounts of encountering the sacred in the world of nature, the book offers a creative and thoughtful reframing of Christian thought and practice in light of the current ecological dilemma.-- "Choice"

This is an inspired text that will surely give flight to a host of new patterns, pathways, and destinations for those bold enough to follow its lead.-- "Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology"

About the Author

Mark I. Wallace is Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies at Swarthmore College and core faculty for the U.S. State Department's Institutes on Religious Pluralism at Temple University. His books include Green Christianity: Five Ways to a Sustainable Future and Finding God in the Singing River: Christianity, Spirit, Nature.