Foreword By Elizabeth A. Johnson

“For Schutz, Christianity witnesses to a God who wills abundant life for all and who calls us to participate in making universal flourishing a reality. With this, A Theology of Flourishing offers a hopeful engagement with scripture and tradition to meet our challenging times.” –Jessica Coblentz, associate professor, Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN

“With deep scholarship and lyrical prose, Paul J. Schutz . . . proposes a new paradigm for a theology that is radically reoriented to flourishing as God’s intent for creation . . . beautifully tracing through Scripture, great early theologians, medieval mystics, and masters of modern theology, including Elizabeth Johnson, Karl Rahner, Ignacio Ellacuría, and Johann Baptist Metz. A Theology of Flourishing: The Fullness of Life for All Creation offers a joyful vision of God’s love, ever-present in the Spirit, renewing hope for the lovers of the earth and all families of life, and issuing a powerful call to action for a praxis of justice and care for our common home.” –Erin Lothes, Center for Earth Ethics

“Paul Schutz is a gifted theologian, and this book reads like a gift to the academy, church, and society. His theology of flourishing is illuminating and revitalizing. This is a rich, timely, and invaluable book.” –Marcus Mescher, associate professor, Xavier University; author, The Ethics of Encounter: Christian Neighbor Love as a Practice of Solidarity

“The whole of sacred scripture bears witness to God’s desire that all creation might enjoy mutual, abundant life. In this book, Paul Schutz . . . contends that, if we take flourishing as the end-goal of creation seriously, then other aspects of our Christian doctrinal tradition—from incarnation to salvation—will be changed according to this central theological principle. Anyone interested in reflecting on these themes and considering what abundant life and flourishing looks like in the age of climate crisis will appreciate this book!” –Daniel P. Horan, professor, Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN

Proposing a groundbreaking theological approach to what it means to truly thrive, A Theology of Flourishing reframes Christian thought around the concept of abundant life for all of creation. Drawing from scripture, tradition, and contemporary theology, Schutz argues that flourishing is God’s fundamental intention for the universe. Suitable for students and scholars alike, this timely work confronts modern crises of injustice, inequality, and ecological destruction while constructing a fresh, hope-filled vision of Christian life for the well-being of all.

Paul J. Schutz is associate professor of religious studies, Santa Clara University. He writes and teaches courses on the meaning and significance of creation in and beyond the Christian tradition, with an emphasis on how scientific research might inform religious accounts of humanity’s relationship with other-than-human creatures.

Cover design: Ponie Sheehan

Cover photo: “Psalm 85” by John August Swanson, used with permission