Loving Creation – Discussion questions

 Discussion questions for each chapter in Loving Creation: Christian Spirituality, Earth-Centered and Just by Kathleen Fischer (Paulist Press)

  1. Thinking of the Genesis accounts of creation, do they point toward humanity's complete control over or kinship with other creatures?
  2. What prayers, poems, or songs express your reverence for the natural world?
  3. Are there any activities-e.g., gardening, hiking-you enjoy that keep you in touch with God's creation?
  4. How do you relate to globalization and its implications for God's cosmos?
  5. How can you prepare for the gift of wonder?
  6. What Scripture passages do you find that help cultivate hope for a transformed world?
  7. What does it mean to you that earth is a lasting home and not merely a place we have "simply visited"?
  8. Thomas Berry observes, "Eventually only our sense of the sacred will save us." What does that mean to you? How can you cultivate a sense of the sacred?
  9. How does freedom from desire for too many possessions free us for more meaningful things?
  10. How can a cultivation of asceticism help you to guard against being overcome by consumerism?
  11. What does it mean to you that "in a dark time we begin to see"?
  12. Which of the persons mentioned in Chapter 12 could you adopt as your own patron saint to inspire you to live the values discussed in this book?