Evocations of Grace: The Writings of Joseph Sittler on Ecology, Theology, and Ethics

By Joseph Sittler and Steven Bouma-Prediger

Book Overview

Booklist
"A pioneer of ecotheology, Sittler addressed environmental concerns even before the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. As the editors' introductory and concluding essays note, Sittler's lasting significance lies in his insistence that environmental concerns be addressed by Christians in terms of Christology and grace. For Sittler, environmental degradation isn't just wrong, its is blasphemous. He invites us to share aesthetic delight in a world permeated by God's surprising presence."

The Lutheran
"It's an occasion for rejoicing that Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. recently released Evocations of Grace. . . The collection includes the most important of Sittler's writings and speeches, drawing together the concepts of nature and grace--his theological trademark. As he said often, he is not a theology of nature but rather a theology for nature--an incarnational theology whose lasting importance cannot be overstated."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802846777
• ISBN13: 9780802846778
• Release Date: August 2000
• Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

An underappreciated theologian.

"Evocations of Grace" is a small sampling of Joseph Sittler's writings and thoughts on ecology, theology and ecumenism from 1954-75. Martin E. Marty (University of Chicago) wrote a very personal foreward describing Sittler as a truly gifted "theologian, rhetor, teacher, exemplar". Sittler was a pioneer in terms of speaking out on the environment from a Christian perspective. His description of nature (both organic and works of art, poetry, dance) was the "theatre of God's of grace". He made a landmark speech at the 1961 World Council of Churches on ecumenism. Sittler's writing is interesting and alive because he "insisted that his loose, unsystematic manner of exposition was appropriate to the dynamic and interrelated character of experience, and to the concrete particularity of occasions of grace". "Evocations" is a fantastic introduction to a bit of Sittler's "corpus of work"--how Joe would have loved to play with THAT phrase!

An unknown, underappreciated pioneer

Evocations of Grace is a compilation of some of the writings and musings of American Lutheran Joseph Sittler. This corpus of work spans from 1954 to 1975. Martin E. Marty gives a very personal glimpse of Sittler who attracted small groups of students who listened for any tidbit they could glean as he walked through Chicago's Hyde Park. Sittler wrote and spoke on the environment in the '50's. He influenced Teilhard de Chardin's work on the "cosmic Christ". In 1961 he made a landmark speech on ecumenism at the WCC meeting in New Delhi. Sittler's incarnational view of nature as "God's theatre of grace" shaped much of his theology on "creation-as-grace". Sittler is an interesting theologian to read because of his style of using poetry and literature (which he considered to be part of nature, along with art, dance, etc...) in his "loose, unsystematic manner of exposition". "Evocations" is a fine introduction to a theologian who will hopefully, one day, be recognized for the pioneering theologian he was.