A New Season for Christianity and Animals
Animals: Tradition - Philosophy - Religion Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

SARX: Christian Animal Welfare
October 2016

Christians have been noticing a new sort of season these past few decades, as ever more interest has been paid to animals: the development of animal theology.

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
- George Eliot

For many, autumn is their favourite time of year. An opportunity to enjoy shuffling through dry leaves, wading through the mud with your boots, behold the changing colours and enjoy the crisp breeze. Autumn is a time of change. The colours of springtide give way to the yellows, browns, golds, reds and purples of a new season. Transformation is afoot and hope is in the air.

Christians have been noticing a new sort of season these past few decades, as ever more interest has been paid to animals: the development of animal theology. Within academic circles, particularly within the last five to ten years, numerous PhDs have been written, animal-theology modules are being taught in universities (such as Professor Michael Gilmour’s Animals and the Bible module at Providence University College) and a multitude of new books have been written.

This has been an exciting time for Christian theological scholarship, and now it is time for animal theology to be made generally accessible and shared widely into church communities.

Thousands of Christians in the UK feel passionately that animal issues should be on the forefront of the Church’s attention. Our aim is to empower and support individuals and communities to engage theologically and practically with animal welfare concerns and with Christian responsibilities for animals. This is why we are staging the Creature Conference - Creature Conference: Is Christianity Good News for Animals?

The conference will take place on Saturday 18th March 2017 at Oasis Auditorium Southbank, London. It will bring together Christians from across the ecumenical spectrum to unite in championing the message of justice and compassion for all creatures.

The day will include a wide choice of workshops, a roundtable discussion, interactive stations and keynotes speeches from world-leading church leaders and academics including Dr Margaret Adam, The Rt Revd John Arnold, Professor John Berkman, Dr Tony Campolo, Professor David Clough, Dr Ruth Valerio and The Rt Revd Dominic Walker.

This pioneering conference will inform, inspire, and empower Christians to put their convictions into action! Those hungry for change will gain the confidence to take action, raise awareness and make tangible differences within their communities.

This conference heralds a new season. We warmly welcome you to book your place today and be a part of it!

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