Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xvii
Introduction: Love in a Time of Climate Change 1
Churches Respond to Climate Change 4
The Movement for Climate Justice 6
The Relevance of John Wesley for Today 8
Book Overview and Organization 9
Part I. Discerning the Truth about Climate Change
- Climate Change: A Sign of the Times 15
Imagine More Malaria 16
The Scientific Consensus 17
Climate Forecasts 20
Calls for Climate Justice 22
Environmental Justice and Climate Justice 25
The Last Beneficiary 27
Intergenerational Justice 29
Interpreting the Signs of Our Times 31
- Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience: Tools
for Discernment 33
Scripture: Revealing God’s Love 34
Tradition: Learning from the Past 35
Reason: Seeking Truth 37
Experience: Knowing God 38
Discerning a Way Forward 40
Part II. Honoring Creation
- Scripture: Hearing Creation’s Groans 43
The Whole Tenor and Scope of Scripture 45
Tradition: The General Deliverance 48
Reason: Biblical Criticism 50
Experience: Sighs Too Deep for Words 52
Our Challenge Today 53
Taking Scripture Seriously: Hope for the World 54
- Tradition: The Wisdom of God in Creation 57
Creation in Christian Tradition 59
Grace: God’s Love at Work in the World 62
Prevenient Grace 64
Sin and Justifying Grace 65
Sanctifying Grace: Perfection in Love 66
Contemporary Manifestations of Christian Tradition 67
Informed by Tradition: Nurturing Creation 70
- Reason: The New Creation Story 73
John Wesley on Science and Creation 76
The New Creation Story 78
Competing Worldviews 80
The Great Irony 83
The Story of the Universe Is Our Story 86
Utilizing Reason: Awakening to Who We Are 87
- Experience: Creation as Sacrament 91
The Rational Brain and the Emotional Brain 93
The Experience of God in Creation 94
The Experience of an “Industrially Despoiled Planet” 97
Engaged by Experience: Practicing the Presence of God 100
Part III. Establishing Justice
- Scripture: Transforming the Jericho Road 105
Who Is My Neighbor? 108
Compassion 110
Ambushed by Climate Change 112
Challenged by Scripture: Compassion in Action 115
Who Will Rescue Us? 116
- Tradition: Social Holiness on a Warming Planet 119
Justice and Injustice in Christian Tradition 121
Justice in the Life and Teachings of John Wesley 122
Social Holiness Today 126
Liberation Theologies 129
Guided by Tradition: Actions That Transcend the Status Quo 136
- Reason: Climate Justice and Common Sense 139
Two Kinds of Climate Change Denial 141
Justice for People, Justice for the Earth 142
Corporate Influence on Climate Policy 144
The Bankruptcy of Free-Market Capitalism 145
Market Fundamentalism 149
Do the Math: The Movement to Divest from Fossil Fuels 151
Out of Denial, into Action 152
Making Connections through Reason: Thinking outside the Box 156
- Experience: On the Front Lines of Climate Change 159
Working for Climate Justice 161
Women and Their Dependent Children 166
Etreme Extraction and Sacrifice Zones 168
The Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Rights of the Earth 170
Intergenerational Justice and Justice for All Creation 173
A Movement That Is Strong and Growing 176
Experiences That Transform: Love in Action 178
- Conclusion: Love of God and Neighbor—
A Faithful Response to Climate Change 181
Creation and Justice: A Synthesis Based on Love 185
Discerning a Faithful Response 186
A Merciful, Just, and Proportional Response 187
God’s Love at Work through Us 189
Suggested Reading List 191
Sharon Delgado’s book, Love in a Time of Climate Change: Honoring Creation, Establishing Justice, is a practical, faith-based approach to climate justice based on love of God and neighbor. It will be released on July 15, 2017. Find out more and read initial endorsements here. Follow Sharon’s blog and “like” her Facebook Page.
Sharon Delgado 