Synopsis "God's Kindness: Planetary Hope and Grassroots Empowerment (in English)"
As an environmental scientist, Daniel Salomon understands the implications of the environmental crises facing on our planet. As a theologian, with a unique background as both a Jewish intellectual and a Roman Catholic convert particularly influenced by St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and environmentalists, he embraces the sacred nature of creation and incorporates the hope born of faith in his approaches to advocacy for our created world. As a disability studies scholar, his work is enhanced by his own sacred story of his lived experience as a neurodiverse man, which is generously and authentically shared within his work. In his latest work, God's Kindness: Planetary Hope and Grassroots Empowerment, Salomon once again addresses planetary environmental problems but this time directs his focus onto individual, grassroots action with practical, relatable suggestions for undertaking such action on an individual basis. This is not simply a philosophical discourse on Salomon's part but a chronicle of Salomon's own experiences of care for creation and the hopeful, powerful examples of environmental healing that have resulted. This, his work is an integration of spiritual autobiography, grassroots activism for social justice and the environment, and applied spirituality. He leads by example. Grounded in his deep faith, Salomon employs his own ecological-critical method of interpreting Holy Scripture, recognizing the applicability of ancient texts to the current environmental problems facing our planet. Similarly, he unhesitatingly acknowledges and credits divine influence and guidance in his life and as the basis of his hope for the future. The reader will be both informed and delighted by what is fundamentally a love story. Salomon's deep love of both the Creator and the created world is evident in rich descriptions of environments and wonders encountered as his own lived experiences. In sharing his witness of recovery of previously damaged environments and chronicling tales of his own participation in the restoration of affected areas, Salomon evokes reverence for the created world, and its power to heal. Readers of faith and science who want to be part of the solution to the environmental problems facing our planet, particularly those who have doubted that their own individual efforts can make a difference, will appreciate God's Kindness as a vehicle for raising their consciousness around the possibilities that can be realized by individual effort.Sarah Morris, RN, MSNursing Faculty, Clackamas Community College, Milwaukie, Oregon
