In Search of an Integral Ecology: Engaging Liberationist Concepts and Methodology as Tools for the Construction of a Pastoral Response to the Global Environmental Crisis

Author

Lluís Salvador Salinas Roca S.J.

Date of Award

4-2021

Document Type

Thesis - SCU Access Only

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2021.

Degree Name

Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL)

Director

Eduardo Fernández S.J.

Abstract

Pope Francis gave the encyclical Laudato si' in 2015. The document represents a milestone in the Catholic Church's history as the first encyclical devoted entirely to what the Pope called "the care for the common home." From the encyclical’s pages emerged a new ethical paradigm, integral ecology from a Christian perspective. This thesis argues that the concepts and method of liberation theology can provide valuable resources for constructing a practical theology of integral ecology. Because of liberation theology’s emphasis on praxis, I identify several initiatives drawn from Christian communities worldwide that model best experiences regarding the praxis of integral ecology. The hope is that this emphasis on praxis will provide a framework for other communities to imitate. This work explores in depth the features of integral ecology, utilizing these principles as its foundation.

The first major conclusion of this work is that integral ecology presents a new moral paradigm that could be labeled as cosmo-theo-centrism. The second conclusion is that it is no longer possible to seek solutions to a conflict without considering all linked forms of human and non-human creation. Regarding the praxis model, this paper proposes that it is impossible to use this model without being in contact with the reality in which the model engages. Concerning putting integral ecology into practice, I have concluded that a solid and virtuous education gives the tools to recognize when injustice occurs and gives the tools to fight injustice. I firmly believe that the key to integral ecology is found in education. Simultaneously, recourse to God, sacramental life and spirituality, is irreplaceable if we intend to practice the eco-theo-centrism of integral ecology.

Comments

Creative Commons License 2021 by Lluís Salvador Salinas Roca S.J.

Recommended Citation

Salinas Roca, Lluís Salvador S.J., "In Search of an Integral Ecology: Engaging Liberationist Concepts and Methodology as Tools for the Construction of a Pastoral Response to the Global Environmental Crisis" (2021). Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations. 90.
https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/jst_dissertations/90