Book: Faith in a Changing Climate ― Table of Contents
We are working on a book Faith in a Changing Climate. Shown here is the top-level working Table of Contents. (We stress the word working — the contents will change as the book progresses.)
Chapter 1: Themes and Stories
The Parable of the Wine Yeast
Stories and Parables
Themes and Guidelines
The 300-Year Party
Deforestation
Coal and Steam Power
Overshoot
The St. Matthew Island Reindeer
The Missing Happy Chapter
Through a Glass Darkly
Time Frame
Need for Caution
Humility
Aha! Moments
Aha! Moment #1: The Machine Stops
Aha! Moment #2: Entropy: Into the Greenhouse World
Aha! Moment #3: The Biofuel Surprise
Aha! Moment #4: Twilight in the Desert
Aha! Moment #5: No Brighter Future
Aha! Moment #6: Light Bulbs
Aha! Moment #7: The Ladder of Awareness
Step 1. Dead Asleep
Step 2. Awareness of One Fundamental Problem
Step 3. Awareness of Many Problems
Step 4. Interconnections Between Many Problems
Step 5. All Aspects of Life
Aha! Moment #8: Augustine’s City of God and Benedict’s Rule
Aha! Moment #9: COP 21 / 29
Aha! Moment #10: Scalable Projects
Aha! Moment #11: No Going Back
Aha! Moment #12: INTJs
The Garden Gate
Awakening to Limits: A Reflection
Chapter 2: Exile and Prophecy
The Parable of the Inheritance
Exile to Babylon
Boomers
A Prophetic Accusation from the Young
The Prophets
Modern Prophecy
Failure of Secular Leadership
The Church During COVID
Church Leaders
Laudato Sí
Prophetic Faithfulness
Wandering in Exile: A Reflection
Chapter 3: The City of Man
King Knut
1. How We Built the City
Fossil Fuels: The Hidden Foundation
Oil: The Magic Fuel
Oil Refining
Petrochemicals
Systems
Complexity
Feedback Loops
2. A City in Decline
Peak Oil
The Hubbert Curve
Simplification
Catabolic Collapse
Dark Ages
Limits to Growth
Global Outlook
Decarbonization
The Red Queen
Energy Returned on Energy Invested
Nine Pounds of Gold
Defining ERoEI
The Energy Cliff
Climate Change
Global Temperature Change
The Permian Triassic Extinction
Sectors
Other Greenhouse Gases
The Clathrate Gun
3. A Failed City of Man
The Missing Diesel Truck
Climate Change Consequences
The Uninhabitable Earth
Six Degrees
Deep Adaptation
The Biosphere
Population
Economics
Growth
Usury
The City of Man: A Reflection
Chapter 4: A Personal Journey
The Parable of the Lantern
Aha! Moment #1: The Machine Stops
Aha! Moment #2: Entropy, Into the Greenhouse World
Aha! Moment #3: The Biofuel Surprise
Aha! Moment #4: Twilight in the Desert
Aha! Moment #5: No Brighter Future
Aha! Moment #6: Light Bulbs
Aha! Moment #7: The Ladder of Awareness
Step 1. Dead Asleep
Step 2. Awareness of One Fundamental Problem
Step 3. Awareness of Many Problems
Step 4. Interconnections Between Many Problems
Step 5. All Aspects of Life
Aha! Moment #8: Augustine’s City of God and Benedict’s Rule
Augustine and Benedict
The Church’s Decline
Aha! Moment #9: COP 21 / COP 29
Aha! Moment #10: Scalable Projects
Aha! Moment #11: No Going Back
Aha! Moment #12: INTJs
Aha! Moments: A Reflection
Chapter 5: Green Technology to the Rescue
The Parable of the Blind Golfers
Thermodynamics
First Law
Second Law
Jevons’ Paradox
Exponential Growth
The Tragedy of the Commons / Externalities
Scale-Up
Net Zero by 2050
Alternative Energy Sources
The Parable of the Green Factory
Clean Coal
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power Plants
Nuclear Waste Storage
Thorium Reactors
Hydroelectric
Solar
Wind
Biofuels
Hydrogen
Ammonia
Geothermal
Geoengineering
Carbon Capture and Sequestration
Point of Release Carbon Capture
Direct Air Capture
Solar Radiation Management
Artificial Intelligence
The Parable of the Thursday Meal (Part 1)
The Limits of Green Technology: A Reflection
Chapter 6: Theology
The Parable of the Compass and the Map
An Example from Physics
Theological Frameworks
Genesis and Human Domination
The Parable of the Bandits
Truth
Today’s Plato’s Cave
Faith and Belief
De Mendacio
An Empire of Lies
Honest Denial
Ecological Amnesia
Linearity Trap
Stoicism
Fatalism
Christianity and Stoicism
Historical Precedents
Augustine of Hippo
The Limits of Education
Semper Reformanda
Historical Parallels
Monasticism
Puritanism / Methodism
Celtic Christianity
Spiritual Foundation
Hope with Patience
Reverence for Creation
Limits as Sacred Discipline
The Sacraments of Daily Life
Social Justice
Theological Guidelines
Guideline #1: Understand Physical Realities
Quantification
Understanding Risk
Guideline #2: Accept and Adapt
Accept
Adapt
Paradise Lost
The Slough of Despond
Grief and Anger
Friendship
Story Telling
The Parable of the Church Kitchen
Guideline #3: Live Within Gaia 212
The Parable of the Thursday Meal (Part 2 ― Years Later)
Theology in an Age of Limits: A Reflection
Chapter 7: The Path Forward
The Parable of the Two Builders
Top-Down Action vs. Individual Responses
Turning Theology Into Practice
The Story of the Virginia Gardener
Understand Physical Realities
The Educated Citizen
A Clear Mind
Imagination
The End of Bargaining
Accept and Adapt
Resistance
Monasticism
Simplification
Living Within Gaia
Community
Ritual
Practice Collapse
Victory Gardens
Low-Tech Skills
Leadership Responsibility
Church Governance
Sabbath
From the Pulpit
Reflection: Did the ‘No Happy Chapter’ Prediction Hold?
Impressive scope, especially the Aha Moments framework and thelinking of peak oil with ERoEI constraints. The thorium reactor inclusion in Chapter 5 caught my attention since most energy discussions either worship renewables or ignore nuclear entirely. I'd be curious how the Augustinian theology angle intersects with community resilience building, whether the book addresses adaptation strategies beyond just understanding the thermodynamic limits.