Abstract:

Our Christian faith professes that the entire creation is indwelt by God. Dei Verbum No. 2 further conveys that God’s indwelling in creation reaches its ultimate expression in the Incarnation from which creation owes its being sharer in the life of the Trinity. This gracious self-bestowal of God in the person of Jesus Christ marks the deep unchanging truth lying beneath the whole creation: the love of God grounds and sustains all that exists. The Incarnation and creation, in this regard, has thus an intimate relationship. This relationship implies the indispensable value of the Incarnation in the understanding of God’s creation.

This paper explores Denis Edwards’ Christocentric Eco-theology concerning the value and implications of Jesus’ incarnation to the understanding of creation. It highlights the Incarnation and its relationship to God’s creation as it offers a biocentric and Christocentric view vis-à-vis the natural world. It seeks to understand the meaning and place of Jesus Christ in God’s evolving cosmos. Concomitant to this is the attempt to gain some insights about God’s nature and actions in creation in the light of Christ. It is likewise a response to Pope Francis’ call for the care of the earth by underlining the Eco-theology of Denis Edwards as it wishes to contribute in furthering the Church’s call to care for God’s creation spearheaded by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’.

Finally, the paper persuades Christians and people of goodwill to care for God’s creation. It equally hopes that in our care of creation we may be able to encounter Christ and the ever-gracious God who selflessly gave Himself to the world out of love. And when this happens may we evermore reverence the cosmos and cooperate with God in bringing forth His reign on the earth that is in agony and need of environmental redemption and protection.

Final Defense:

Board of Examiners: Fr. Jojo Fung,S.J., Ph.D. (Principal Examiner), Fr.Oliver Dy, S.J., S.T.D., Ph.D. and Fr. Jose Mario Francisco, S.J., S.T.L., Ph.D

Proposal Defense:

Board of Examiners: Fr. Manuel Francisco, S.J., S.T.D. (Adviser), Fr. Oliver Dy, S.J., S.T.D., Ph.D. and Fr. Roberto Ma. Buenconsejo, S.J., S.T.L.