An Ethics of Biodiversity

"An excellent survey of Christian theological arguments for the conservation of biodiversity that also does a good job of introducing scientific and philosophical arguments. It will work very well as a textbook, while it also makes distinctive and original contributions, in particular around the issue of multiscalar approaches to biodiversity and the importance of moral formation in communities of place."—Environmental Values

"Makes innovative and needed strides in advancing Christian approaches to environmental ethics in a more problem- and context-oriented direction: it addresses and creatively interprets a critical environmental issue (biodiversity) and meets a pragmatic challenge (addressing problems of scale) with a theological twist."—Journal of Environmental Studies

"An excellent book that makes a distinctive contribution to a critically important and timely issue, and advances the task and agenda of Christian environmental ethics in several important ways. O'Brien explains clearly the central concepts and debates in ecology and conservation biology around conservation of biodiversity, and shows how and why they are central to a Christian ethics of biodiversity. The scientific scholarship and ethical analysis are both first-rate. This is a terrific book!"—Dan Spencer, associate professor of environmental studies, University of Montana

"An Ethics of Biodiversity not only lays out the arguments and criticisms around the ecological values in biodiversity, but also lays out theological arguments for biodiversity as having sacramental value. The concept of biodiversity as revealing God to us is powerful, even as O'Brien validates the many questions about the goodness of biodiversity, given its dependence upon conflict and suffering. The book is accessible to undergraduates, compelling in its arguments, and recommends itself as carefully balanced in a field replete with opposing claims."—Christine Gudorf, professor and chair, Department of Religious Studies, Florida International University

"A welcome addition to ecological ethics! This lucid and compelling book integrates scientific understanding of biodiversity with concern for conservation, cultural diversity, and social justice to develop a valuable Christian ecological ethic for moral formation, discernment, and action. It is especially useful for thinking about the multiple scale—local, regional, global—of ecological ethical issues."—Pamela Brubaker, professor of religion and ethics, California Lutheran University