"The trees of the field shall clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12) What does it mean to say that creation praises the Creator?

Tue 20 January 2015

St Edmund's College

"The trees of the field shall clap their hands" (Is.55:12). There are many such texts in the Bible (especially the Psalms and Isaiah) that describe elements of creation praising the Creator. How should we interpret them? Two alternatives lie immediately to hand: 1. The text is a poetic metaphor that actually refers to our human joy at perceiving the created wonder of the trees, etc. 2. The text captures something inherent in the non-human world, a theological quality that animates all created entities, whether they are capable of consciousness or not. Quite apart from the historical difficulty of knowing what the prophet/psalmist believed about these matters, it becomes apparent that neither solution is ideal from the perspective of developing a modern ecotheology. For while the first reveals a degree of anthropocentrism, the second might be seen to verge upon 'primitive animism'. Therefore, another solution must be found, one that is both scientifically sustainable and theologically helpful. Searching for a solution touches on issues at the heart of the science-religion dialogue, such as the controverted question of human uniqueness, and the theological meaning of suffering and natural evil. This talk will explore the main problems, and put forward some pointers towards a theology of nature that might be able to address them.

Cost: FREE