A Creed for Today – Review
A Creed for Today: Faith and Commitment for our New Earth Awareness, by Donal Dorr, March 2021. Veritas, ISBN: 978-1847309389, 160 pages. RRP £13.99
Concern for environmental issues is at the heart of the Christian Gospel, argues Donal Dorr. This thrilling book makes an immensely important contribution to Christian thought and action by working towards a creed in the context of this awareness.
The different parts of the book follow the pattern of traditional creeds: “mystery”, “integral incarnation”, “loving creation and creative love” and “choose life”, each comprising essays and a fresh creedal statement. It is perhaps in the second part that the heart of the book is most apparent, highlighting that the incarnation of Jesus was part of a 14 billion year history of God’s embodiment in our universe. Here, as in many other parts of the book, Donal Dorr acknowledges his debt to Pope Francis and Laudato ‘Si as well as to other theologians such as Elizabeth Johnson.
Part 3 is equally exciting with its emphasis on Wisdom teaching, including that in the Psalms and Job, in other world religions and contemporary writing. Part 4 deals with the moral and intellectual elements of ecological conversion, following Pope Francis in identifying how the “market” has been deified, becoming the only criterion by which policies are judged. He cites the Pope’s appeal to hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor and to take radical action. A freshly energised ecological spirituality, he suggests, can both inform conscientious personal choice and stand as a challenge to exploitation.
In view of Donal Dorr’s openness and awareness of ultimate mystery it is not surprising that some chapters are full of poetry. R.S.Thomas is quoted frequently, as are Gerard Manley Hopkins and Patrick Kavanagh. For a relatively short book it is extraordinarily comprehensive, with the final chapter, “Prayer in an Evolving Universe”, as a case in point. It does not matter that the creed which is put before us is sometimes wordy and clumsy. An afterword speaks of the book as “work in progress”, a place to stand in wonder and awe before pursuing our quest, and acting as needed. A postscript lists twenty one actions in the context of a post-Covid new normal, and urges that they should be adopted immediately by Catholic development organisations (and by implication other Christian organisations too).
Donal Dorr expresses the hope that the book will be of value both to those already committed to an ecological spirituality, ensuring that such spirituality is at the heart of their faith, and to those whose faith and spirituality pre-date Vatican II or the papacy of Francis. In fact the book’s appeal is to the whole Church worldwide and beyond, to all those who look for a broader understanding of the “mystery whom we call God” or a deeper ecological feel for the whole created order. It is a “must read” and hugely enjoyable as well.
Peter Dodd
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