The Cosmic Common Good

Daniel P. Scheid

ISBN 10: 0199359431 / ISBN 13: 9780199359431

Published by Oxford University Press Inc, US, 2016

About this Item

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 as the foundation for a new type of interreligious ecological ethics, which he calls the cosmic common good, that sees humans as just a part of the greater whole of the cosmos. The cosmic common good emphasizes the instrumental and intrinsic value of nature and the integral connection between religious practice and the pursuit of the common good.Scheid begins his analysis by rooting his vision of the cosmic common good in the classical doctrines of creation found in the works of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas and in Thomas Berry's interpretation of the evolutionary cosmic story. He goes on to explore conceptions of a cosmic common good in other traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and American Indian religion. Scheid demonstrates that dialogue with these non-Christian traditions both confirms and expands the cosmic common good as a theologically authentic moral framework that re-envisions humanity's role in the universe.

Seller Inventory # LU-9780199359431

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Cosmic Common Good
• Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc, US
• Publication Date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0199359431
• ISBN 13: 9780199359431
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Dimensions: 23.62W x 2.54H x 15.49D centimeters 23.62 centimeters width by 2.54 centimeters height by 15.49 centimeters depth
• Weight: 498 grams

About this title

Synopsis

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.