From the International Society for Environmental Ethics Newsletter, Volume 22, No. 1 Spring 2011:
—Maran, Timo, Dario Martinelli, and Aleksei Turovski. Readings in Zoosemiotics. Boston, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, Inc., 2011.
This book is the first annotated reader to focus specifically on the discipline of zoosemiotics. Zoosemiotics can be defined today as the study of signification, communication and representation within and across animal species. The volume includes a wide selection of original texts accompanied by editorial introductions. An extensive opening introduction discusses the place of zoosemiotics among other sciences as well as its inner dimensions; the understanding of the concept of communication in zoosemiotics, the heritage of biologist Jakob v. Uexküll; contemporary developments in zoosemiotics and other issues. Chapter introductions discuss the background of the authors and selected texts, as well as other relevant texts. The selected texts cover a wide range of topics, such as semiotic constitution of nature, cognitive capabilities of animals, typology of animal expression and many other issues. The roots of zoosemiotics can be traced back to the works of David Hume and John Locke. Great emphasis is placed on the heritage of Thomas A. Sebeok, and a total of four of his essays are included. The Reader also includes influential studies in animal communication (honey bee dance language, vervet monkey alarm calls) as well as theory elaborations by Gregory Bateson and others. The reader concludes with a section dedicated to contemporary research. Readings in Zoosemiotics is intended as a primary source of information about zoosemiotics, and also provides additional readings for students of cognitive ethology and animal communication studies.
Friday, May 6, 2011
New book on Ecological hermeneutics
From the International Society for Environmental Ethics Newsletter, Volume 22, No. 1 Spring 2011:
Horrell, David G., Francesca Stavrakopoulou, Cherryl Hunt, and Christopher Southgate. Ecological Hermeneutics: Biblical, Historical and Theological Perspectives. London: T & T Clark, 2010.
Leading scholars reflect critically on the kinds of appeal to the Bible that have been made in environmental ethics and ecotheology. ―Ecological Hermeneutics‖ reflects critically on the kinds of appeal to the Bible that have been made in environmental ethics and ecotheoloogy; engages with biblical texts with a view towards exploring their contribution to an ecological ethics; and, explores the kind of hermeneutic necessary for such engagement to be fruitful for contemporary theology and ethics. Crucial to such broad reflection is the bringing together of a range of perspectives: biblical studies, historical theology, hermeneutics, and theological ethics. The thematic coherence of the book is provided by the running focus on the ways in which biblical texts have been, or might be, read. This is not a volume on ecotheology; but rather on ecological hermeneutics. Indeed, some essays may show where biblical texts, or particular approaches in the history of interpretation, represent anthropocentric or even anti-ecological moves. One of the overall aims of the book will be to suggest how, and why, an ecological hermeneutic might be developed, and the kinds of intepretive choices that are required in such a development.
Contents
Pt. I. Biblical perspectives
1. ―The creation stories: their ecological potential and problems‖ by John W. Rogerson
2. ―Sacrifice in Leviticus: eco-friendly ritual or unholy waste?‖ by Jonathan Morgan
3. ―Reading the prophets from an environmental perspective‖ by John Barton
4. ―The significance of the Wisdom tradition in the ecological debate‖ by Katharine J. Dell
5. ―Reading the synoptic gospels ecologically‖ by Richard Bauckham
6. ―An ecological reading of Rom. 8.19-22: possibilities and hesitations‖ by Brendan Byrne
7. ―Hellenistic cosmology and the letter to the Colossians: towards an ecological hermeneutic ― by Vicky S. Balabanski
8. ―Retrieving the earth from the conflagration: 2 Peter 3.5-13 and the environment‖ by Edward Adams
Pt. II. Insights from the history of interpretation.
9. ―In the beginning: Irenaeus, creation and the environment‖ by Francis Watson
10. ―Power and dominion: patristic interpretations of Genesis I‖ by Morwenna Ludlow
11. ―Thomas Aquinas: reading the idea of dominion in the light of the doctrine of creation‖ by
Mark Wynn
12. ―Martin Luther, the word of God and nature: Reformation hermeneutics in context‖ by H. Paul Santmire
13. ―'Remaining loyal to the earth': humanity, God‘s other creatures and the Bible‖ by Karl Barth and Geoff Thompson
14. ―Hans Urs von Balthasar: beginning with beauty‖ by David Moss
15. ―Between creation and transfiguration: the environment in the Eastern Orthodox tradition‖ by Andrew Louth
16. ―Jürgen Moltmann‘s ecological hermeneutics‖ by Jeremy Law
Pt. III. Contemporary hermeneutical possibilities.
17. ―Green millennialism: American evangelicals, environmentalism, and the book of Revelation‖ by Harry O. Maier
18. ―New Testament eschatology and the ecological crisis in theological and ecclesial perspective‖ by Stephen C. Barton
19. ―Keeping the commandments: the meaning of sustainable countryside‖ by Tim Gorringe
20. ―What on earth is an ecological hermeneutics?: some broad parameters‖ by Ernst M. Conradie.
Horrell, David G., Francesca Stavrakopoulou, Cherryl Hunt, and Christopher Southgate. Ecological Hermeneutics: Biblical, Historical and Theological Perspectives. London: T & T Clark, 2010.
Leading scholars reflect critically on the kinds of appeal to the Bible that have been made in environmental ethics and ecotheology. ―Ecological Hermeneutics‖ reflects critically on the kinds of appeal to the Bible that have been made in environmental ethics and ecotheoloogy; engages with biblical texts with a view towards exploring their contribution to an ecological ethics; and, explores the kind of hermeneutic necessary for such engagement to be fruitful for contemporary theology and ethics. Crucial to such broad reflection is the bringing together of a range of perspectives: biblical studies, historical theology, hermeneutics, and theological ethics. The thematic coherence of the book is provided by the running focus on the ways in which biblical texts have been, or might be, read. This is not a volume on ecotheology; but rather on ecological hermeneutics. Indeed, some essays may show where biblical texts, or particular approaches in the history of interpretation, represent anthropocentric or even anti-ecological moves. One of the overall aims of the book will be to suggest how, and why, an ecological hermeneutic might be developed, and the kinds of intepretive choices that are required in such a development.
Contents
Pt. I. Biblical perspectives
1. ―The creation stories: their ecological potential and problems‖ by John W. Rogerson
2. ―Sacrifice in Leviticus: eco-friendly ritual or unholy waste?‖ by Jonathan Morgan
3. ―Reading the prophets from an environmental perspective‖ by John Barton
4. ―The significance of the Wisdom tradition in the ecological debate‖ by Katharine J. Dell
5. ―Reading the synoptic gospels ecologically‖ by Richard Bauckham
6. ―An ecological reading of Rom. 8.19-22: possibilities and hesitations‖ by Brendan Byrne
7. ―Hellenistic cosmology and the letter to the Colossians: towards an ecological hermeneutic ― by Vicky S. Balabanski
8. ―Retrieving the earth from the conflagration: 2 Peter 3.5-13 and the environment‖ by Edward Adams
Pt. II. Insights from the history of interpretation.
9. ―In the beginning: Irenaeus, creation and the environment‖ by Francis Watson
10. ―Power and dominion: patristic interpretations of Genesis I‖ by Morwenna Ludlow
11. ―Thomas Aquinas: reading the idea of dominion in the light of the doctrine of creation‖ by
Mark Wynn
12. ―Martin Luther, the word of God and nature: Reformation hermeneutics in context‖ by H. Paul Santmire
13. ―'Remaining loyal to the earth': humanity, God‘s other creatures and the Bible‖ by Karl Barth and Geoff Thompson
14. ―Hans Urs von Balthasar: beginning with beauty‖ by David Moss
15. ―Between creation and transfiguration: the environment in the Eastern Orthodox tradition‖ by Andrew Louth
16. ―Jürgen Moltmann‘s ecological hermeneutics‖ by Jeremy Law
Pt. III. Contemporary hermeneutical possibilities.
17. ―Green millennialism: American evangelicals, environmentalism, and the book of Revelation‖ by Harry O. Maier
18. ―New Testament eschatology and the ecological crisis in theological and ecclesial perspective‖ by Stephen C. Barton
19. ―Keeping the commandments: the meaning of sustainable countryside‖ by Tim Gorringe
20. ―What on earth is an ecological hermeneutics?: some broad parameters‖ by Ernst M. Conradie.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Environmental Philosophy journal
The latest issue of Environmental Philosophy (Spring 2011, Vol. 8, no. 1), the official journal of the International Association for Environmental Philosophy, was just released. Among the essays, two are written by participants in the electronic seminar referred to in the description of this blog. Forrest Clingermann (who also founded and writes for this blog) wrote "From Artwork to Place: Finding the voices of Moreelse, Bacon, and Beuys at the Hermeneutical Intersection of Culture and Nature." Janet Donohoe is the author of the second essay entitled "The Place of Home."
Clingerman looks at theological investigations concerning culture and nature asking the question of how theological reflection on art informs our "consideration of nature." Clingerman's inquiry into three specific works leads him to conclude a possible "hermeneutical mediation between art, place, and the spiritual."
Donohoe addresses what she calls the "normative power of place, specifically the place of home, on our embodied constitution." Investigating the concepts of "homeworld" and "alienworld" from a Husserlian perspective, Donohoe asks "why place would have a normative power and to what extent that normativity can be drawn into question through encounters with the alienworld." She concludes with a brief examination on the implications of the normative priority of homeworld for those who are displaced and "whether alien place can ever take on the normative and identity power of home place."
While Clingerman's essay is more explicitly hermeneutical in focus and Donohoe's is phenomenological, the latter is certainly implicitly, if not overtly, hermeneutical in its approach and style. Both essays can rightly be considered as contributions to the growing literature of environmental hermeneutics.
Clingerman looks at theological investigations concerning culture and nature asking the question of how theological reflection on art informs our "consideration of nature." Clingerman's inquiry into three specific works leads him to conclude a possible "hermeneutical mediation between art, place, and the spiritual."
Donohoe addresses what she calls the "normative power of place, specifically the place of home, on our embodied constitution." Investigating the concepts of "homeworld" and "alienworld" from a Husserlian perspective, Donohoe asks "why place would have a normative power and to what extent that normativity can be drawn into question through encounters with the alienworld." She concludes with a brief examination on the implications of the normative priority of homeworld for those who are displaced and "whether alien place can ever take on the normative and identity power of home place."
While Clingerman's essay is more explicitly hermeneutical in focus and Donohoe's is phenomenological, the latter is certainly implicitly, if not overtly, hermeneutical in its approach and style. Both essays can rightly be considered as contributions to the growing literature of environmental hermeneutics.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
AESS-CFP Deadline Extended
The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences has extended the deadline for abstracts to March 22 for its annual conference to be held in Burlington, Vermont, June 23 - 26. "Confronting Complexity" is the theme of the conference. For more details see www.aess.info.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
PHILOSOPHY'S OTHER: THEORY ON THE WEB: Cfp: Kögler, Hans-Herbert, and Paul Healy, eds. S...
PHILOSOPHY'S OTHER: THEORY ON THE WEB: Cfp: Kögler, Hans-Herbert, and Paul Healy, eds. S...: "Twentieth century hermeneutics, including the work of Heidegger, Gadamer and Ricoeur, effected a revolution regarding the concepts of unders..."
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