Understanding Sustainability through Literature and The Earth Charter

Throughout the semester the books we read helped us to understand how we must have respect for the earth, feel compassion for others, and to challenge core values set by institutions. We also read a preamble, The Earth Charter, which focuses on forming a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice and peace. The preamble consists of a set of principles humans and institutions must follow in order to create a sustainable way of life for future generations. In addition, The Earth Charter and the books we read in class outline the challenges humanity faces, such as ecological integrity, economic development, and compassion.

The books A New Climate for Theology, by Sallie McFague and Thomas Berry, by Mary Evelyn

The book “Christianity’s dangerous memory,” by O’Murchu emphasizes on how Christian faith is more than what we believe because it challenges the church’s knowledge. It also challenges the norms and values set by institutions that are superior to us. In this book O’Murchu emphasizes on the idea of Christianity’s dangerous memory. He refers to the memory of Jesus as dangerous because he was a rule breaker; he challenged the core beliefs of institutions. He believed that every human had the right to be equally treated and not discriminated by others. Often times people are told to believe what is right and what is wrong according the way religious leaders interpret the bible. Most if the time the text of the bible is used to justify social violence, racism, stereotypes, patriarchy, etc. to make people superior and others inferior. In this book the O’Murchu states that we should not treat a person different regardless of their race, gender, socioeconomic class or religion, and this is when he introduces the term about commensality or in other words the open