The Cosmic Common Good: Religious Grounds for Ecological Ethics

As ecological degradation continues to threaten permanent and dramatic changes for life on our planet, the question of how we can protect our imperiled Earth has become more pressing than ever before. In this book, Daniel Scheid draws on Catholic social thought to construct what he calls the "cosmic common good," a new norm for interreligious ecological ethics. This ethical vision sees humans as an intimate part of the greater whole of the cosmos, emphasizes the simultaneous instrumental and intrinsic value of nature, and affirms the integral connection between religious practice and the pursuit of the common good. When ecologically reoriented, Catholic social thought can point the way toward several principles of the cosmic common good, such as the virtue of Earth solidarity and the promotion of Earth rights. These are rooted in the classical doctrines of creation in Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, and in Thomas Berry's interpretation of the evolutionary cosmic story. The cosmic common good can also be found in Hindu, Buddhist, and American Indian religious traditions. By placing a Catholic cosmic common good in dialogue with Hindu dharmic ecology, Buddhist interdependence, and American Indian balance with all our relations, Scheid constructs a theologically authentic moral framework that re-envisions humanity's role in the universe.

About the Author :
Daniel P. Scheid is Assistant Professor of Theology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Review :
"Scheid creates an innovative amalgam of ancient and modem theological insights and is to be lauded for attempting to overcome some of the inherent difficulties of hammering out a common interreligious ecological ethic by proposing a theoretical framework for a worldview that is centered on the cosmic common good. This kind of unity is precisely what the world needs if humanity is going to overcome the ecological crisis that threatens its existence."--Jeremiah Vallery, Religious Studies Review "Given the suffering caused by ecological degradation to humans and other creatures alike, theology is tasked in our day to bring the natural world back into view as a subject of religious and moral importance. In this broadly researched and clearly written book, Scheid sets out to do just that with one keystone element of Catholic social teaching: the common good. Not only does he rethink features of this principle, expanding it in an ecological direction, but he places this principle in dialogue with Hindu, Buddhist, and American Indian traditions. The point of arrival is an interreligious vision of the cosmic common good which can serve as a basis for ethical action to protect the planet, or 'to care for God's creation' in Catholic language Toward that end this book makes a superb contribution."--Elizabeth A. Johnson, Theological Studies "In arguing for an ethical vision of humanity s place in nature in the broadest of terms, this sophisticated book with its judicious comparative analysis itself helps foster the common good....Highly recommended."--CHOICE "This volume could not be more timely. Just when Pope Francis issues the momentous encyclical, Laudato Si: On the Care of our Common Home, Scheid gives us the most complete account of its norm, the common good, that exists. His is also one of the most creative, expanding a traditionally human-centered norm so as to make the case for Earth rights and a 'cosmic' common good. For religion, ethics, and ecology, Scheid's is a major contribution." --Larry Rasmussen, author of Earth-honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key "The Cosmic Common Good is one of the finest books to emerge in ecological ethics in recent years. Well-written and carefully argued, it opens up important new grounds for Catholic social teaching and comparative religious ethics. By highlighting a cosmocentric perspective it expands the fields of religion and ecology and ecological ethics for years to come." --Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, Directors, Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University "This visionary and carefully crafted work takes the theological grounds of ecological responsibility to a new level. Though most scholars recognize that interreligious cooperation is essential if humans are to resolve urgent global challenges, few are equipped to offer specific and tradition-spanning theoretical grounds to anchor activism and hope. It is no exaggeration to say that this book is essential reading at the cutting edge of Christian ecological ethics." --Lisa Sowle Cahill, author of Global Justice, Christology and Christian Ethics "Theoretical and practical, Daniel P. Scheid s The Cosmic Common Good is an important contribution to ecological ethics."--Religious Studies Review