Ecology
A Christian fellowship or society often bears the imprint of the times it was conceived in. The Iona Community came into being just before the Second World War, the community’s strong peace and justice agenda reflecting this. The Community of Aidan and Hilda in Northumbria was born during the sectarian bloodshed of the troubles of Northern Ireland; unsurprisingly, a key community theme is ‘healing the land’ – the reconciling of divided communities that occupy a common place.
Cowethas Peran Sans has been founded at a time when the gravity of the threat that Global Warming poses to our fragile world has finally been recognised. Consequently, we are very much concerned with promoting more ecologically-responsible lifestyles and spirituality.
Founding member Andy Phillips has written a seminal paper Kernow Sans: a Celtic Eco-theology of Place for Cornwall which has been distributed to various academics and key opinion formers in Cornwall. It theologically underpins the eco-spirituality described in Andy’s book An Forth Keltek: a spiritual pilgrimage with the Celtic saints of Cornwall, Wales and Brittany.
The overall message of this paper is that Christians need to view Creation theologically in a new and very different way to be truly and more deeply ecological. Also, we would do well to turn the strong sense of place seen historically in Cornwall to our ecological advantage in a new eco-spirituality of place.
You can download this paper by clicking the links below. You are welcome to forward it on electronically or print it off and distribute it if not for financial reward. Andy Phillips retains copyright at all times.
While not an official Cowethas Peran Sans document, it is hoped that this paper will promote theological debate in Cornwall about the growing ecological challenges facing our planet and the need for more ecologically-sensitive lifestyles.