Preaching Resources
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Preaching and Living God’s Creation
Early August 2005, Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa and friends gathered for their annual community days to ponder the universe. Led by Honora Werner, OP (Dominican Sister of Caldwell, NJ), the gathering reflected on God’s creation initiative that is still a work in progress.
The days were sponsored by the two Sinsinawa committees: The Circle of Preachers and the Ecology Committee. Below are some suggestions for further study and contemplation.
Suggestions for Reading
For children (of all ages!)
Martignacco, Carol.
The Everything Seed.
Morgan, Jennifer.
Born with a Bang ISBN 158469-032-1 (2002)
From Lava to Life ISBN 158469-024-9 (2003)
Schimmel, Schim.
Children of Earth . . . Remember ISBN1-55971-640-1
Series
Conversation: Dominican Women on Earth
Coston, Carol.
Permaculture: Finding Our Own Vines and Fig Trees ISBN 0-9740243-1-7
Galiardi, Margaret.
Encountering Mystery in the Wilderness: One Woman’s Vision Quest ISBN 0-9740243-3-3
Sharkey, Sarah Ann.
Earth, Our Home: Biblical Witness in the Hebrew Scriptures ISBN 0-9740243-2-5
Zayac, Sharon.
Earth Spirituality: In the Catholic and Dominican Traditions ISBN 0-9740243-1-7
Credit: NASA, ESA, H. Weaver (APL/JHU), M. Mutchler and Z. Levay (STScI)
Books
Anderson, Bernhard.
From Creation to New Creation. Essays on Old Testament Themes. ISBN0-8006-2847-0
Bergant, Dianne, CSA
The Earth Is the Lord’s: The Bible, Ecology, and Worship. Biblical essay.
Berry, Thomas (in dialogue with Thomas Clarke, SJ).
Befriending the Earth: A Theology of Reconciliation Between Humans and the Earth. ISBN0-89622-471-6
Dream of Earth. ISBN 0-87156-622-2
The Great Work. The task for humans now that we begin to know. ISBN 0-609-60525-9
Brueggemann, Walter.
The Land: Place as Gift, Promise and Challenge in Biblical Faith. And any of his other work in the past 10 years or so!
Bruteau, Beatrice.
God’s Ecstasy: The Creation of a Self-Creating World ISBN 0-8245-1683-4
The Easter Mysteries. She is a philosopher/mathematician/mystic – anything she writes is worth reading! ISBN 0-8245-1493-9 Dempsey and Butkus (editors).
All Creation is Groaning: An Interdisciplinary Vision for Life in a Sacred Universe. Essays by college professors reflecting on the implications in their disciplines (humanities, fine art, science, theology, social sciences, etc.) ISBN 0-8146-5932-2
Edwards, Denis (ed.)
Earth Revealing, Earth Healing. ISBN 0-8146-5951-9
Jesus the Wisdom of God. Essays on various aspects of theology as it intersects with the Universe Story. ISBN 1-57075-002-5
Made from Stardust. Explores the place of humans in creation from biblical and theological points of view within the Universe Story. ISBN 1-8637-1037-X
Breath of Life: A Theology of the Creator Spirit. ISBN 1-57075-525-6
Fabel and St. John (editors).
Teilhard in the 21st Century: The Emerging Spirit of Earth. Essays on Teilhard’s thought applied to the spiritual challenges of our time. ISBN 1-57075-507-8
Fiand, Barbara.
In the Stillness You Will Know. Spirituality in this new context. ISBN 0-8245-2650-3
Foley and Schreiter (editors)
The Wisdom of Creation. Essays by leading contemporary biblical and theological scholars. ISBN 0-8146-5122-4
Haught, John F.
God After Darwin. Theology for today that does not skirt the challenges. ISBN 0-8133-3878-6
Responding to 101 Questions on God and Evolution. ISBN 0-8091-3989-8
Hofstetter, Adrian M., OP.
Earth-Friendly: Re-Visioning Science and Spirituality through Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and Rudolf Steiner. ISBN 1-58420-023-5
Johnson, Elizabeth.
Women, Earth, and Creator Spirit. And anything she has written since 1993!) ISBN 0-8091-3415-2
McFague, Sallie.
The Body of God. Early classic in theology done in the context of the evolutionary story. ISBN 0-8006-2735-0
O’Murchu, Diarmud.
Evolutionary Faith: Rediscovering God in Our Great Story. Practical theology for ordinary people. ISBN 1-57075-451-9
Pharr & Watson.
Growing in Care of the Earth. Prayers and reflective exercises. ISBN 0-88489-579-3
Phillips, Jennifer M.
Preaching Creation throughout the Church Year. Based on the Revised Common Lectionary, a comment/reflection for each reading of each Sunday of the three cycles. ISBN 1-56101-174-6
Reagan, Michael. (ed.)
The Hand of God. Hubble photos and quotations for scholars, poets, mystics, saints, scientists and Scripture. ISBN 0-7407-0323-4
Rupp, Joyce.
The Cosmic Dance. Poetry and poetic prose inviting a reader to reflection. ISBN 1-57075-406-3
Swimme, Brian and Berry Thomas.
The Universe Story. Basic and thorough “story” of the evolutionary history of the Universe. Essential reading and rereading! ISBN 0-06-250835-0
Swimme, Brian.
The Human Heart of the Cosmos. Reflections by a believing scientist on the human’s place in the Universe. ISBN 1-57075-058-0
Taylor, Barbara Brown.
The Luminous Web. Essays reflecting a preacher’s struggle with her creationist upbringing and her evolutionary understandings. As all her work—lyrical, lovely, and loaded with ideas! ISBN 1-56101-169-X
Toolen, David.
At Home in the Cosmos. A contemporary Catholic theologian writes. ISBN 1-57075-341-5
Wessels, Cletus, OP.
Jesus in the New Universe Story. A Christology that challenges, comforts and inspires awe. ISBN 1-57075-465-9
Dempsey, Carol & Pazdan, Mary Margaret (edits).
Earth, Wind, & Fire: Biblical and Theological Perspectives on Creation. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2004.
O’Murchu, Diarmuid.
Catching Up with Jesus: A Gospel Story for Our Time. NY: Crossroad, 2005.
Wheatley, Margaret.
Leadership and the New Science: Learning about Organization from an Orderly Universe. Emeryville, Ca: Publishers Group West, 1992.
Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Periodical
EarthLight (Published twice a year). Short articles packed with spirituality, facts, and theological reflection.
EarthLight 111
Fairmount Ave. Oakland,
CA 94611
510-451-4926
Video and DVD
WAVES Virtual Vacations from the series Californian Zen Volume 4 produced by Greg Voevodsky.
www.WavesDVD.com
Star Gaze: Hubble’s View of the Universe. 2000 Alpha. DVD available through the Chicago Planetatium Gift Shop, all rights reserved.
Cosmic Voyage. Narrated by Morgan Freeman. IMAX. National Air & Space Museum, Smithsonian Institute. 1-800-263-IMAX.
Credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI)
The Cosmic Walk
Miriaim Therese MacGillis, OP, developed the Cosmic Walk based on the writings of Thomas Berry & Brian Swimme. Here is a web site that provides some ideas to develop a Cosmic Walk:
www.threeeyesofuniverse.org/public/TheCosmicWalks
Educational Ecological Entertainment
Joyce Johnson Rouse, MA – aka Earth Mama
www.earthmama.org
earthmamjoyce@mac.com
Speaker—Singer—Educator: Teaching about care of the earth with joy!
Other Links
Earth Charter
www.earthcharter.org/
www.earthchartersummits.org/