Brueggemann, the land and the forest

A Forest Church perspective on the theology of the land

Bibliographic Data

ID20242565
AuthorsCate Williams (0000-0001-5258-3859, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, corresponding author)
Year2018
Volume11
Issue5
Pages462-476
Publication date2018-10-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePractical Theology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1756-073X • E-ISSN: 1756-0748
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1756073x.2018.1536350
OpenAlexW2899083114
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited3

A Forest Church is a Christian community that normally meets outside in the natural world. As a Forest Church practitioner myself, and engaged with the wider Forest Church network, I am conscious that a depth of understanding of the relationship of humanity with non-human creation, held in God, is a core insight offered within the Forest Church movement. ‘Nature connection’, that is, seeking a relational connection with non-human creation, is a fundamental practice for Forest Churches, as is an understanding that meeting with God can be facilitated by time spent in nature. This article engages in fieldwork with five UK Forest Churches in early 2017, exploring the resonance between the emerging themes and theologies of the land, with particular reference to Brueggemann. It concludes by surveying the missiological implications: the opportunities that Forest Churches offer for people to connect with the Christian tradition who are drawn to an outdoor spirituality; and the encouragement of environmental ethics, a right relationship between humanity and the natural world

Archaeology · Environmental ethics · Humanity · Sociology · Spirituality · Theology · History · Philosophy · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Ecology, and Ethics · Religion, Society, and Development

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