Humanity and Nature in Eastern Orthodox Christianity - Paul Kingsnorth

A lecture for the Temenos Academy delivered in London on 17th March 2025.

Humanity and Nature in Eastern Orthodox Christianity

What is our human relationship to the natural world, according to Christian cosmology? In an age of ecological overshoot and collapse, the question is urgent, and yet it is often assumed or claimed that the Christian faith has no answers to it. It is common to hear that Christianity is an anti-ecological religion, which separates humans from the rest of creation and instructs them to dominate and exploit it. Calls are sometimes made for Christians to ‘modernise’ their thinking in the face of climate change, or adopt an ‘eco-theology’ which departs from traditional Christian teaching.
This lecture will explore the teaching of the Eastern Orthodox Church about the place of humanity in the world, and explain that, far from being anthropocentric or anti-creation, it in fact offers a deep, subtle and radical answer to the ecological crisis.

PAUL KINGSNORTH is a writer and former ecological activist. He is the author of nine books of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, including the Man Booker-nominated novel The Wake. He was received into the Orthodox Church in 2021, and now writes about his ongoing journey into the Eastern Christian tradition.

The Temenos Academy is an educational charity offering teaching in philosophy and the arts in light of the sacred traditions of East and West.

To find out more visit https://www.temenosacademy.org/

For a list of our upcoming lectures visit https://www.temenosacademy.org/events...