Contours of Creaturely Flourishing
A Feature Review of
A Theology of Flourishing: The Fullness of Life for All Creation
Paul J. Schutz
Paperback: Orbis Books, 2025
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Reviewed by Andrew Camp
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10
Jesus’s words have shaped many of his followers’ imagination about what life should look like. The story we tell ourselves and others about this verse shapes our way of being and relating in this world to God, to others, and even to creation. For some, abundance or flourishing will never be actualized in the flesh or in this physical world; it is solely reserved for the heavenly realm. For others, flourishing is available, but only at the expense and exploitation of others, both creaturely and non-creaturely life.
This is where Paul Schutz’s book enters the fray, guided and grounded by Jesus’s words in John 10:10. Schutz invites us to consider what would change in both theology and practice if flourishing was the center and starting point. Schutz is not developing a full-fledged theology of flourishing, rather he is laying the groundwork for what a model with flourishing at the center might look like. For this reason, the book relies heavily on history and foundational questions rather than drawing out implications for key doctrines. The book is divided into three parts—foundations, explorations, and integrations—with the explorations part being the largest.
In Part 1—Foundations, Schutz provides the framework for what this exploration will look like moving forward. He draws on two key feminist thinkers, Grace Jantzen and Elizabeth Johnson to provide the fundamental commitments. The second chapter of part 1 provides the overall method for his proposal, highlighting the primacy of embodied, creaturely life in relation to others, God, and creation. Because of the primacy of experience, “a theology of flourishing also gives hermeneutical priority to experiences of oppression, marginalization, or degradation of any kind” (25).
In Part 2—Explorations, the centrality of flourishing throughout history is highlighted, beginning in the Jewish scriptures and continuing up into the 20th century. This is the largest and possibly the densest portion of his book, owing to the fact that flourishing has largely been ignored by Christian theologians, both in the scriptural texts and in history. Much can and should be said about these chapters, especially since he does such a great job highlighting, not only the biblical narrative, but also Christian theologians who have sought to bring flourishing to the fore, (thinkers like Iranaeus, Hildegard of Bingen, John Duns Scotus, Julian of Norwich, and Karl Rahner). But for the sake of brevity, I want to highlight two key terms that pervade Schutz’s proposal—viriditas from Hildegard of Bingen and haecceitas from John Duns Scotus.
Viriditas, a Latin term meaning “greenness,” is more than an ecological term for vegetation. As Schutz surveys key texts from Hildegard, he concludes that viriditas “evokes abundant life” (122). For Hildegard and the author, viriditas implies that all of creation, both creatures and non-creatures, were made to flourish and achieve their God-given uniqueness. Haecceitas is a Latin term meaning “thisness,” and refers to the unique particularity of every created thing. As it relates to flourishing haecceitas implies that flourishing cannot be predetermined from outside of the being, rather flourishing arises from the uniqueness of created beings.
In Part 3—Integrations, Schutz begins to build out his theology of flourishing, orienting Christianity “toward the cultivation of a socio-ecological order in which all things may flourish” (176). The contours he proposes are rooted in creation, but not a creation deeply flawed, but a creation imbued with God’s presence through and through. God creates things to flourish and to reach their potential, and because of this, we stand in solidarity with creation. A theology of flourishing is also deeply pneumatological—“the Holy Spirit advocates unceasingly for flourishing, actualizing God’s life-giving intentions through the cosmos and human life” (183). Flourishing is not wrought by sheer human force or strength; flourishing is contingent and dependent on the Spirit. Nor does the Spirit bend to our wishes, but rather is at times disorienting and uncomfortable in guiding us as it seeks to unseat religious, political, and economic systems that inhibit flourishing. As mentioned above, haecceitas is a fundamental principle. He writes, “What it means for a creature to flourish is absolutely unique. It flows from haecceitas and cannot be defined on the basis of principles imposed from the outside” (191). Nevertheless, the author is quick to point out that this is no way diminishes community or relationality, rather flourishing based on haecceitas is always discerned in community.
As he outlines the contours of a theology of flourishing, Schutz provides a framework for actualizing flourishing in the context of community, based on dialogue, discernment, and decision. His vision of dialogue is “grounded in radical openness and hospitality to others and to reality as a whole” (209). Dialogue listens deeply to the haecceitas of every creature, especially those who have suffered under the yoke of oppression and exploitation. Discernment “contemplates and evaluates understandings that emerge from dialogue in the concrete circumstances of creaturely life” (215). Discernment requires double vision in a good way—a willingness to see people in the current embodied, embedded particularity as well as a willingness to see what is possible in and through God’s work. Finally, as decisions are made, the validity of dialogue and discernment is not measured by right or wrong, but rather the degree to which all of creation is brought to its truest flourishing.
There is much more that needs to be said about this book, and equally a lot more that needs to be wrestled through as communities discern and implement Schutz’s vision. What is most commendable about this work is the fact that it seeks to build up a framework and theology to move the church forward and out of ways that wrought exploitation and destruction on so much of God’s creation. It is all too easy to point out the flaws in our systems and our theology, it is much harder to build a more beautiful way. And while I do believe that God’s heart and love yearns for all of creation to flourish, what does flourishing look like in light of the cross? While Schutz does speak of Christianity’s proclivity towards death and necrophilia, he fails to give enough credence to the fact that as Jesus sought to re-establish the dignity and flourishing of people and creation, he ended up being killed. As communities of faith seek to bring flourishing into spaces where destruction and exploitation once only existed, they are liable to face the same hostility as Jesus. As we run up against systems of death, how do we persevere?
My hope is that this is only the beginning for the church to think through a theology and praxis of flourishing in line with Scripture’s vision for God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. This book needs to be read and talked about in community as we seek to liberate all into an arena of flourishing.
Andrew Camp
Andrew Camp, host ofThe Biggest Tablepodcast, draws on his experience as both a professional chef and a pastor to help people experience a rich lived experience around the table. He has a Masters in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care from Talbot Seminary. He is married to Claire, has two daughters--Hazelle and Hannah-- and currently lives in Flagstaff, Arizona.
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