Abstract
Elizabeth A. Johnson, Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love, Bloomsbury Continuum: London and New York, 2014; 352 pp.: 9781472903730, £18.99/$32.95 (hbk)
Among the growing number of eco-theological writings the distinguishing feature of this volume is its use of a dialogue, between Charles Darwin's Origin of Species and key elements of the Nicene Creed, in order to explore the theological implications of scientific understandings of the natural world and how it came into being through evolution. The goal of this dialogue is to produce ‘a theology that supports an ecological ethic of love for earth's community of life’ (p. xvi) and to show that ‘love of the natural world is an intrinsic part of faith in God, to practical and critical effect’ (p. xviii).
Early chapters cover something of Darwin's life and work, summarize Origin and survey the way evolution is currently understood. The next two examine Christian understanding of creation as an ongoing act of the Trinity, present as Spirit, and suggest that we may view the evolutionary process as the love of God ‘in person dwelling [in] the natural world and sparking its own daring generative powers’ (p. 178). The very freedom of the process of evolution is granted by the Creator dwelling with it. The author then surveys some responses to the issues of evolutionary evil and the anticipated ‘new creation’, focusing on the concept of God being present in and through all creaturely suffering and the idea of ‘deep resurrection’ (p. 208) involving a destiny with God for all living creatures. The concluding chapters explore the relationship between humans and non-human creation and the deleterious effects that the former have had on the latter. It is suggested that the concept of a community of creation, of which humans are part, offers more potential than dominion or stewardship models.
This book seems to be aimed at the interested non-specialist. The chapters on Darwin and evolution seemed very clear and balanced (to a former biologist!) and should be accessible to someone with little scientific background. Some common theological terms, such as eschatology and incarnation, are explained but other concepts, such as causality, are dealt with quite briefly given their complexity and relevance to the book. For a non-specialist audience the book would have benefited from more detail in some places but, given its ambitious scope, it is quite balanced.
Overall, this is well written in a somewhat poetical style, although some language jarred: Darwin ‘lasers in against’ his opponents (p. 33) and humans ‘disappear species’ (p. 258). The tendency to poetic language can also cause problems: are the ‘weaker’ forms weeded out by evolution less beautiful or worthy than the ‘ever more beautiful and complex’ life-forms that replace them (p. 170)? Although Simon Conway Morris's interesting work on convergence is overlooked, and despite the author's rightful insistence that evolution is subject to chance, there is the occasional implication that, with time, evolution produces ‘better’.
Given its breadth of coverage, its price and style this book would serve as a good introduction for anyone not yet familiar with debate within ecological hermeneutics and ecotheology and would be especially useful for those wishing to begin to explore the theological implications of evolutionary theory.