An Ecological Theology of Liberation: Salvation and Political Ecology

⭐Advance Praise and Reviews⭐

"His theological argument is both guide and goad for further reflection from Catholics, Lutherans, and others. The scope of his book—as well as its admirable clarity—means that it could be fruitful in many settings: upper-level university and seminary classrooms, a pastor’s study, a gathering of theologically-curious adults in a church group. The book could be used, in part or whole, to examine contemporary Catholic thought, eco- and political theology, or liberation practice. For Castillo, in light of the cries of the earth and the poor, the last is the most imperative." - Andrew Ronnevik, Journal of Lutheran Ethics

"Overall, this is an important book that would work in christian theological graduate courses, especially doctoral seminars on feminist theology or theological anthropology. Excerpted chapters would work for advanced undergraduate courses." - Elizabeth L.Antus, Boston College, Sage Journals

"I find Castillo’s impressively well-researched book to be an important contribution to the field. While the book is crafted for a Catholic audience, Castillo’s deep engagement with sources across a wide range of disciplines make it a valuable tool for any specialist interested in eco-theology. I look forward to continuing to engage with this text and reading more from Castillo in the future." - Ann Hidalgo, Journal of Hispanic / Latino Theology

"Taking his cue from Pope Francis, Castillo performs a sobering assessment of the “eco-social” emergency and invites the reader into a hopeful imagining of how a new ecological theology of liberation might respond." - Xavier M. Montecel, Journal of Moral Theology

"Daniel Pastillo intended to go beyond the liberation theology of Gustavo Gutiérrez, and he has done so in admirable fashion." - Anthony J.Blasi, Catholic Book Review

"With trenchant insight, this book recovers the language of liberation for the task of theology today, demonstrating how the church's response to God's call demands an urgent conversion to the earth and to the poor." -Gustavo Gutiérrez, author, A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation

"This timely, groundbreaking work should be read by anyone interested in understanding the integral relationship between the global crises of environmental devastation and human social suffering. Castillo's ecological theology of liberation represents a major advance in the ongoing development of Christian theologies of liberation." -Roberto S. Goizueta, author, Christ Our Companion: Toward a Theological Aesthetics of Liberation

"This is an important book. Ambitious in scope and careful in research, Castillo develops an ecologically integrated account of liberation that significantly advances Christian efforts to understand salvation in a time of planetary crises." -Willis Jenkins, author, Ecologies of Grace: Environmental Ethics and Christian Theology

What is the relationship between salvation, human liberation, and care for creation? To answer this question Daniel Castillo expands on the ideas presented in Gustavo Gutierrez's classic work A Theology of Liberation and proposes a novel concept: green liberation theology.

In this compelling and original work Castillo places Gutierrez in dialogue with a diverse array of theological, ecological, and socio-scientific discourses, drawing upon the work of Jon Sobrino, Willie James Jennings, Walter Brueggemann, Ellen Davis, and others, paying special attention to Pope Francis encyclical Laudato Siâ.

Daniel P. Castillo is assistant professor of theology at Loyola University Maryland. His work, which focuses on the confluence of liberation theology and ecological theology, has appeared in a number of journals including Theological Studies, Political Theology, and Scriptura.