Description
Today we find ourselves in an anomaly in human history: many of our lives are empty of animals. Many of us have pets or watch documentaries on Animal Planet, but, for the most part, we humans don't really know how all the other species on our planet live today. And as Laura Hobgood-Oster reveals, many of them are not living very well--sadly, not very well at all.
Seeking to awaken Christians to the place and, too often, plight of animals in the twenty-first century, The Friends We Keep gently but astutely introduces the situations animals face today--as companions, as animals in sport, as animals raised for food, and as creatures in the wild--and simultaneously retells a myriad of often surprising and instructive stories from the long, rich history of Christianity. We see and experience animals as Christians have for generations--as beloved companions to the saints, as unfortunate prisoners in Roman arenas, as sentient and compassionate recipients and givers of hospitality, and as good and worthy beings created by God. Once upon a time, it seems--not too terribly long ago--animals held an important place in Christianity.
Could it be, then, that Christianity can be good news for animals today?
With a guide for group discussion and ideas for how people of faith can respond, this thoroughly engaging and enlightening book is essential for all who desire to live compassionately.
Not for sale in the UK.
About the Author
Laura Hobgood-Oster is Paden Chair and Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies, Southwestern University. She is the author of The Friends We Keep . She lives in Georgetown, Texas.
Reviews
"For personal reading, and for group study, there is none better than this! Hobgood-Oster raises the toughest questions and helps us find biblical answers." --Thomas P. Eggebeen, Pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles
"Wonderful. Read and share this inspiring, wide-ranging, and easy-to-read book so that we can all expand our compassion footprint to every being, big and small, furred and finned." --Marc Bekoff, best-selling author of The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy--and Why They Matter
A carefully researched and powerfully argued book - both moving and revelatory." - Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO, The Humane Society of the United States
"Well-balanced and highly readable, The Friends We Keep has all the virtues of good scholarship while being wonderfully suitable for a wide range of readers. Hobgood-Oster has provided a superb example of how to combine scholarship with faith experience and active citizenship. I heartily recommend it." --Paul Waldau, President of the Religion and Animals Institute, Bob Barker Lecturer on Animal Law at Harvard Law School, and author of The Animal Invitation: Religion, Law, Science, and Ethics in a More-Than-Human World
"At last! A compelling and engaging book on how faith can speak to both our love for animals and our concern for their fate. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever loved a pet or who is concerned about the impact humans have on the livelihood of species." --Janetta Cravens Boyd, Senior Minister at University Christian Church in Seattle, Washington
"I hope this is a book to which many will turn. In such lively and engaging prose, Hobgood-Oster shines a light on a hidden ethical issue so that we are forced to wake up to practices that have been tolerated and reinforced by Christians and our theology." --Wendy Farley, Professor of Religion, Emory University
"With her sensitive retracing of the place of animals in the lives of saints and her constructive proposals for how Christians might include them with religious life in respectful ways, Laura Hobgood-Oster provides answers to the great questions surrounding faith and animals in this short, beautiful book." --Jay McDaniel, Author of Of God and Pelicans, Earth, Sky, Gods, and Mortals With Roots and Wings.
This paperback is highly recommended for undergraduate seminars or Christian adult study groups on topics concerning animal rights, environmental ethics, or religious responses to current social issues. -- Susan Power Bratton, Baylor University -- Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture
Book Information
ISBN 9781602582644
Author Laura Hobgood-Oster
Format Paperback
Page Count 245
Imprint Baylor University Press
Publisher Baylor University Press
Seeking to awaken Christians to the place and, too often, plight of animals in the twenty-first century, The Friends We Keep gently but astutely introduces the situations animals face today--as companions, as animals in sport, as animals raised for food, and as creatures in the wild--and simultaneously retells a myriad of often surprising and instructive stories from the long, rich history of Christianity. We see and experience animals as Christians have for generations--as beloved companions to the saints, as unfortunate prisoners in Roman arenas, as sentient and compassionate recipients and givers of hospitality, and as good and worthy beings created by God. Once upon a time, it seems--not too terribly long ago--animals held an important place in Christianity.
Could it be, then, that Christianity can be good news for animals today?
With a guide for group discussion and ideas for how people of faith can respond, this thoroughly engaging and enlightening book is essential for all who desire to live compassionately.
Not for sale in the UK.
About the Author
Laura Hobgood-Oster is Paden Chair and Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies, Southwestern University. She is the author of The Friends We Keep . She lives in Georgetown, Texas.
Reviews
"For personal reading, and for group study, there is none better than this! Hobgood-Oster raises the toughest questions and helps us find biblical answers." --Thomas P. Eggebeen, Pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles
"Wonderful. Read and share this inspiring, wide-ranging, and easy-to-read book so that we can all expand our compassion footprint to every being, big and small, furred and finned." --Marc Bekoff, best-selling author of The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy--and Why They Matter
A carefully researched and powerfully argued book - both moving and revelatory." - Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO, The Humane Society of the United States
"Well-balanced and highly readable, The Friends We Keep has all the virtues of good scholarship while being wonderfully suitable for a wide range of readers. Hobgood-Oster has provided a superb example of how to combine scholarship with faith experience and active citizenship. I heartily recommend it." --Paul Waldau, President of the Religion and Animals Institute, Bob Barker Lecturer on Animal Law at Harvard Law School, and author of The Animal Invitation: Religion, Law, Science, and Ethics in a More-Than-Human World
"At last! A compelling and engaging book on how faith can speak to both our love for animals and our concern for their fate. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever loved a pet or who is concerned about the impact humans have on the livelihood of species." --Janetta Cravens Boyd, Senior Minister at University Christian Church in Seattle, Washington
"I hope this is a book to which many will turn. In such lively and engaging prose, Hobgood-Oster shines a light on a hidden ethical issue so that we are forced to wake up to practices that have been tolerated and reinforced by Christians and our theology." --Wendy Farley, Professor of Religion, Emory University
"With her sensitive retracing of the place of animals in the lives of saints and her constructive proposals for how Christians might include them with religious life in respectful ways, Laura Hobgood-Oster provides answers to the great questions surrounding faith and animals in this short, beautiful book." --Jay McDaniel, Author of Of God and Pelicans, Earth, Sky, Gods, and Mortals With Roots and Wings.
This paperback is highly recommended for undergraduate seminars or Christian adult study groups on topics concerning animal rights, environmental ethics, or religious responses to current social issues. -- Susan Power Bratton, Baylor University -- Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture
Book Information
ISBN 9781602582644
Author Laura Hobgood-Oster
Format Paperback
Page Count 245
Imprint Baylor University Press
Publisher Baylor University Press
