10 Standing in the Middle of the Ocean: Time for a Public Theology
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question of the parable, ‘who is my neighbour?’, to examine multiple political issues
(Carter and Wells 2018).
In terms of mitigation and adaptation the impact of this biblical work will always
be indirect. It is not so obviously practical in terms of an agenda of specific things
to be done. Its purpose is to animate churches in such a way that fresh connections
can be made between Scripture, a people’s way of life and the daunting threats posed
by a changing climate, let alone the Anthropocene. The significance of a shift in a
biblical trajectory can be seen in the high level press conference Talia organized at
the COP 25 Conference in Madrid. For the first time in a Tuvaluan presentation on
the international stage the rhetoric of the neighbour was invoked: the parable of the
Good Samaritan lay in the background. The theme was ‘Not without my neighbour’
conceived in a planetary manner. The panellists were a former President and Prime
Minister (Tong and Sopoaga) as well as the Head of Greenpeace Pacific and the
General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches. Those speaking have been
among the most ardent advocates for policies of mitigation and adaptation. In this
example of a public theology they found themselves engaged in a media conference
where they drew upon the theme of the neighbour to inject an ethical imperative
based upon an appeal to those who live ‘near by’. They were provocative: they were
on the front foot in a way in which Noah and Job cannot do.
References
Barreto R, Cavalcante R, da Rosa WP (eds) (2017) World Christianity as public religion. Fortress
Press, Minneapolis
Birbo N, Woodroffe CD (2013) Historical area and shoreline change of reef islands around Tarawa
Atoll, Kiribati. Sustainability Science 8: 345–362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-013-0210-z
Birch BC, Lapsley JE, Moe-Lobeda C, Rasmussen LL (2018) Bible and ethics in the Christian life:
a new conversation. Fortress Press, Minneapolis
Carroll S (ed) (2019) A theology of disaster resilience in a changing climate. UnitingWorld, Sydney
Carter R, Wells S (2018) Who is my neighbour?. The Global and Personal Challenge, SPCK,
London
Cohen S (2001) States of Denial knowing about atrocities and suffering. Polity Press, Cambridge
Conradie EM, Koster HP (2020) T&T Clark handbook of Christian theology and climate change.
T & T Clark, London and New York
Curlew LK (2012) The cultural impacts of climate change: sense of place and sense of community
in tuvalu. A country threatened by sea level rise. University of Hawai’i Press, Honolulu
Deane-Drummond C, Bergmann S, Vogt M (2017) Religion in the anthropocene. Cascade Books,
Eugene
de la Torre M (2011) Genesis. Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville
Doane S (2017) As climate change threatens islands, Kiribati’s President plan development. CBS
News 20 November, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-kiribati-president-tanetimaamau/. Accessed 15 June 2020
Fair, H (2018) Three stories of Noah: navigating religious climate change narratives in the Pacific
Island region. Geo: Geography and Environment e00068, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/geo2.68
Fretheim K (2016) Interruption and imagination. public theology in times of crisis. Wipf & Stock,
Eugene
201
question of the parable, ‘who is my neighbour?’, to examine multiple political issues
(Carter and Wells 2018).
In terms of mitigation and adaptation the impact of this biblical work will always
be indirect. It is not so obviously practical in terms of an agenda of specific things
to be done. Its purpose is to animate churches in such a way that fresh connections
can be made between Scripture, a people’s way of life and the daunting threats posed
by a changing climate, let alone the Anthropocene. The significance of a shift in a
biblical trajectory can be seen in the high level press conference Talia organized at
the COP 25 Conference in Madrid. For the first time in a Tuvaluan presentation on
the international stage the rhetoric of the neighbour was invoked: the parable of the
Good Samaritan lay in the background. The theme was ‘Not without my neighbour’
conceived in a planetary manner. The panellists were a former President and Prime
Minister (Tong and Sopoaga) as well as the Head of Greenpeace Pacific and the
General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches. Those speaking have been
among the most ardent advocates for policies of mitigation and adaptation. In this
example of a public theology they found themselves engaged in a media conference
where they drew upon the theme of the neighbour to inject an ethical imperative
based upon an appeal to those who live ‘near by’. They were provocative: they were
on the front foot in a way in which Noah and Job cannot do.
References
Barreto R, Cavalcante R, da Rosa WP (eds) (2017) World Christianity as public religion. Fortress
Press, Minneapolis
Birbo N, Woodroffe CD (2013) Historical area and shoreline change of reef islands around Tarawa
Atoll, Kiribati. Sustainability Science 8: 345–362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-013-0210-z
Birch BC, Lapsley JE, Moe-Lobeda C, Rasmussen LL (2018) Bible and ethics in the Christian life:
a new conversation. Fortress Press, Minneapolis
Carroll S (ed) (2019) A theology of disaster resilience in a changing climate. UnitingWorld, Sydney
Carter R, Wells S (2018) Who is my neighbour?. The Global and Personal Challenge, SPCK,
London
Cohen S (2001) States of Denial knowing about atrocities and suffering. Polity Press, Cambridge
Conradie EM, Koster HP (2020) T&T Clark handbook of Christian theology and climate change.
T & T Clark, London and New York
Curlew LK (2012) The cultural impacts of climate change: sense of place and sense of community
in tuvalu. A country threatened by sea level rise. University of Hawai’i Press, Honolulu
Deane-Drummond C, Bergmann S, Vogt M (2017) Religion in the anthropocene. Cascade Books,
Eugene
de la Torre M (2011) Genesis. Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville
Doane S (2017) As climate change threatens islands, Kiribati’s President plan development. CBS
News 20 November, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-kiribati-president-tanetimaamau/. Accessed 15 June 2020
Fair, H (2018) Three stories of Noah: navigating religious climate change narratives in the Pacific
Island region. Geo: Geography and Environment e00068, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/geo2.68
Fretheim K (2016) Interruption and imagination. public theology in times of crisis. Wipf & Stock,
Eugene