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Alan G. Padgett

Education

  • D.Phil. (University of Oxford)
  • M.Div. (Drew University)

Biography

Alan Padgett has been on the faculty at Luther Seminary since 2001. Following a call to the ministry, he graduated from Drew University (M. Div., 1981).  After serving full time in pastoral ministry he studied at the University of Oxford (D.Phil, 1990).  A United Methodist minister, he coordinates Methodist studies at the seminary as well as teaching classes in systematic theology and ethics. Padgett works at the intersection of theology, biblical studies, philosophy and the sciences. His most recent books include the Blackwell Companion to Science & Christianity (co-edited with Jim Stump, 2012); Introduction to Philosophy: Christianity and the Big Questions (with Steve Wilkens, 2018); and Ecotheology: A Christian Conversation (co-edited with Kiara Jorgensen, 2020).  His current book project is a monograph on “The Gift of Time” a work on the theology of time drawing from Scripture, philosophy, theology, ethics and spirituality.

Featured Work

Ecotheology

Eerdmans (2020)

Book cover of "Ecotheology: A Christian Conversation" featuring foliage background and text in a central white rectangle.

Just as God loves creation, so are Christians called to care for it. Now, amid the accelerating degradation of our global environment, that task has taken on greater urgency than ever. How should Christians respond to the climate crisis and widespread pollution of earth’s shared commons, water and air? How might Christian communities think about human responsibility to other living creatures?

In roundtable format, Richard Bauckham, Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Steven Bouma-Prediger, and John F. Haught navigate the layers of what it means for humans to live in right relationship with earth’s lifesystems. After each contributor’s essay, the other three contributors issue a response—including points of disagreement and questions—thereby modeling for readers productive and respectful dialogue. The ecumenical conversations in Ecotheology represent the diverse viewpoints of contributors’ theological and practical commitments, exploring creation care through a variety of frameworks, including natural science, biblical studies, systematic theology, and Christian ethics.