Toward a “Green” Liturgy: The Ecological Theology of Bartholomew I

In this paper I seek to present the potential of the Orthodox tradition to make an important contribution to the contemporary discussion about how to respond to the environmental crisis (and especially regarding the role religious life and theological reflection may play in such a response). I especially examine the prominent contribution to this discussion of the ecological vision of the “green” Patriarch, His Holiness Bartholomew I. In particular, I will focus on the role the liturgy plays in his addresses and proposals, suggesting that a reflection on liturgical practices and texts must be a central and crucial component of any Orthodox ecological theology. Much Western ecological theology has suggested that Eastern Orthodoxy is in a better position to respond to environmental concerns theologically, because it did not experience the Enlightenment or the Scientific Revolution (or at least did not undergo them in the same way as the West). I examine this claim critically (especially considering that this supposed advantage of the East has not usually led to better environmental practices). I suggest that Patriarch Bartholomew’s vision and especially his emphasis on the role of the liturgy may in fact also provide a way for Eastern and Western churches to come together in genuine dialogue. Furthermore, it may become an opportunity for Orthodox theology to engage critically with the contemporary world (since it has often been faulted for failing to engage the present), while not losing its grounding in the strongest aspect of its tradition: the liturgy.