The Eco-theological Legacy of H. Paul Santmire

2025 marks the 40th anniversary of Lutheran theologian H. Paul Santmire’s pathbreaking The Travail of Nature: The Ambiguous Ecological Promise of Christian Theology (Fortress Press, 1985). There Santmire argued, “It seems clear that Christian theologians have a public responsibility to respond to [the environmental crisis] in terms of both a critical appropriation of their own tradition and a constructive exploration of the possibility of new ways of valuing nature, along with new ways of affirming the values of human history.” This ecumenical, global, and intergenerational panel of clergy and activists, biblical scholars and theologians takes up Santmire’s challenge by examining how the Lutheran theologian’s own canon has aided the emergence of ecotheologies and influenced the reformation of histories, liturgies, pastoral leadership, and spiritual practices. In the spirit of honoring his legacy this panel asks: how might Santmire’s work help us think alongside new global ecological problems and promises?