Pope John Paul II's message for World Peace Day, 1989, focused on the moral and religious necessity of caring for the planet Earth. It said "we cannot interfere in one area of the ecosystem without paying due attention both to the consequences of such interference in other areas and to the well-being of future generations." The Greening of the Church focuses on that theme, but goes one giant step further, showing what is required if the church is to be a credible agent for promoting a sound, ecological vision.

Sean McDonagh witnessed first-hand the eco-disasters caused by devel opment projects in the Philippines. Deforestation caused by slash-and-burn practices, boom-bust cycles, population pressures in urban centers, the heavy toll of foreign debt, and the steady degradation of the earth: these are the urgent problems the people of the Third World face, and which we must face as well.

By exploring the theme of creation in the scriptures, McDonagh unearths a Christian approach to the ecosystem that envisages human nature as part of the divine cosmic whole. He shows how we must accept the humility of creaturehood and also exercise our stewardship with creation. His first-hand experience, his familiarity with the technical and practical effects of development and debt policies, and his hard-hitting proposals for change drive home the vital message. Nothing less than total commitment will undo the damage being done every day in the name of economics and progress.