A Faith Embracing All Creatures

What is the purpose of animals? Didn't God give humans dominion over other creatures? Didn't Jesus eat lamb? These are the kinds of questions that Christians who advocate compassion toward other animals regularly face. Yet Christians who have a faith-based commitment to care for other animals through what they eat, what they wear, and how they live with other creatures are often unsure how to address these biblically and theologically based challenges. In A Faith Embracing All Creatures, authors from various denominational, national, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds wrestle with the text, theology, and tradition to explain the roots of their desire to live peaceably with their nonhuman kin. Together, they show that there are no easy answers on "what the Bible says about animals." Instead, there are nuances and complexities, which even those asking these questions may be unaware of. Editors Andy Alexis-Baker and Tripp York have gathered a collection of essays that wrestle with these nuances and tensions in Scripture around nonhuman animals. In so doing, they expand the discussion of nonviolence, peacemaking, and reconciliation to include the oft-forgotten other members of God's good creation.

Tripp York teaches at Virginia Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach, VA. He is the author and editor of eleven books. He spends much of his free time surfing, reading comics, and debating the all-important merits of the 1980's American Hardcore scene.

Andy Alexis-Baker is a PhD candidate in Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics at Marquette University. He is coeditor of Christian Attitudes to War, Peace, and Revolution by John Howard Yoder.