ABSTRACT
In February 1998, Gaia, the Society for Research and Education in Earth System Science, was founded 'to promote an integrated understanding of the Earth system through research and education'. Theological listings, however, remain almost exclusively focused on 'human-only' concerns, as do undergraduate and further education courses targeted on clergy and religious communities. Theology has officially and effectively been reduced to salvation history with all that has meant for Church life, order, teaching and authority. The term evolution, whether applied to physical, environmental, communal or social entities, is generally understood as meaning change through time, change through which new life forms and environments gradually emerge, and healthy ecosystems are sustained which nourish the life potential of the whole Earth household. Earth system science, however, appeals to us to exercise our theological freedom responsibly by recognising God's continuous revelation to the whole Earth household and positing a response from each creature within it.
