Taking the Adventure: Faith and Our Kinship with Animals

What is the relationship between faith especially Christian faith and a lifestyle that respects animals as our neighbors and kin? Why should faith entail a commitment to vegetarianism? Are animals meant to be heirs of the kingdom of God as well as human beings? Taking the Adventure offers answers to these questions in the context of important biblical themes: of Eden and Exodus of the prophetic imperative of Jesus as a prophet proclaiming liberty to the oppressed and the captives of the feast of the kingdom of the resurrection and life beyond death. It explores imagery from familiar novels such as A Christmas Carol and The Hobbit that deal with cravings anxiety and true abundance. It proposes that committing ourselves to live in God-given peace with all living beings and sharing with others the good news of that peace is an adventure worth the best we can give--an arduous and painful yet joyous adventure climaxing in return to the heart of God. Weaving a rich fabric of mythic lore and religious motifs with todays pressing issues of animal abuse and liberation Taking the Adventure enraptures us with its sumptuous banquet of insights revelations and connections. Gracia Ellwood has made a significant contribution to the ever-proliferating conversation about our cultures routine mistreatment of animals and its hidden sources and ramifications. Most highly recommended! --Will Tuttle author of The World Peace Diet Ms. Ellwood has written a book that is thoughtful and insightful as well as poetic and lyrical. She combines clear-headed analysis of complex philosophical and religious topics with poetry and literature and she concludes that recognizing the value of nonhuman beings is a crucial step in the universal goal to find peace and harmony in our lives. --Stephen R. Kaufman author of Guided by the Faith of Christ Taking the Adventure is an apt title for this bracing journey into seeing animals afresh in light of their dignity as unique individuals and fellow creatures of God. From the wilds of Narnia to the fleshpots of exilic Egypt to the manors of Austens England Ellwoods master course of literary essays illuminates the unanticipated ways that traversing these environs with fresh eyes can open our hearts and hands to the divine Light that is Love which is present in every person or even every being. --Matthew C. Halteman author of Living Toward the Peaceable Kingdom Gracia Fay Ellwood has taught English at Evansville University and Religious Studies at California State University Long Beach. She is the author of The Uttermost Deep: The Challenge of Near-Death Experiences (2001) and editor of the online journal The Peaceable Table in which the original versions of these essays appeared. She is a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).