The Mad Lover Meets Creation

Almost from the beginning of my career as a professor of economics I have been trying to understand how the economy, the environment, and religion, particularly Christianity, relate to one another. Over the last forty years as I have taught environmental economics, sustainable development, and environmental studies, I have come to the conclusion that the root of the environmental crises we are facing is spiritual. As Pope Benedict XVI has said,

The external deserts in the world area growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast.

In the process I’ve been asking myself and others lots of questions. For instance, how does a God who Christians believe to be the epitome of love, what we might humanly consider a mad lover, relate to creation, whether human or nonhuman? How does our experience of nature and our belief in a mad lover of a God affect our understanding of what Christians see as the fundamental truths of their faith? How does our spiritual desert affect the way society organizes itself, makes and distributes things? Conversely, how might a re-envisioned, creation-inclusive, faith affect society and our daily lives? Pope Francis’ recent encyclical, Laudato Si'(On Care for our Common Home), as well as many other statements from across the spectrum of Christianity, addresses questions such as these. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to ponder these issues during much of my life and to discuss them with others.

I have created this website to offer you, too, the opportunity to share some of my thoughts and reflections. With the menu above you can access my blog from the Huffington Post, my bio, information on my current projects, and publications on the intersection of religion, environment and economics. If you wish, share in the conversation by commenting on the blog, reading some of the literature, or even participating in our Center’s certificate program in Contemplation and Care for Creation. I hope that what you find here is fruitful.