When Time Is Short: Finding Our Way in the Anthropocene

I was terrified to read this book, and I should have been. Beal is asking no less than that we face the possibility of the end of our species through catastrophic climate change—and, in order to face that, he argues that we'll need to deconstruct our myths of human exceptionalism and open ourselves to grief. It's a lot to ask—but, as the soundness of his arguments convinces me, we probably don't have a choice. As he ends the book, "What matters most when time becomes short is always what matters most."

Book delves into some of our biggest taboos, among them, this culturally-ingrained exceptionalism, influenced in good part, by the modern Western Christian belief in our “godlike dominion over the natural world”. A view that has not only helped fuel climate change and environmental destruction through unsustainable growth but also led to the denial of our own mortality and consideration that we could be doomed as a species in a not too distant future (something that explains our lack of urgency addressing these issues)His epilogue is a beautiful tribute to the younger generation. It made me think of my own daughter who, now approaching her senior year in College, has taken on environmental studies as one of her majors. Like many in her generation, she is deeply concerned about the future of our planet.As someone who has always moved “towards the fire” in search for truth, I am in a better place after reading this book. His reflections (sadly avoided by so many) that compel us to embrace our “creatureliness” and connection to the earth only strengthen my understanding and compassion towards humanity, my love for the natural world and appreciation of our interdependence, and my resolve to live a gentle, sustainable life…even more so with the awareness of my own mortality and that our remaining time as a species could very well be short.

This work examines a destructive impulse in Christianity harbored in the idea that we have dominion over creation. What's very revealing about Beal's analysis is an argument that the Bible has roots "in indigenous cultural practices of subsistence" but has pushed those ideas aside. What follows from his view is the idea that we have a lot to learn from indigenous cultures that believe they were part of the earth and not creatures standing apart from it.Christianity has separated itself from those indigenous earth notions and sees them as an embarrassment to more modern teachings, Beal argues. I found his analysis revelatory. It connects two things that I have known about but have never put together: The more earth-centered beliefs of indigenous populations (Such as the Standing Rock 'water is sacred' protests) and the muscular mainstream religious beliefs of today that are divorced from those notions. It's a gem of a book and a very worthwhile read.

I was excited to read this book. I don't argue with the author's thesis that the world (or humanity) is on hospice, but he spent a lot of time talking about different historical views about how we got here or are headed, and very little about what to do next. I need some practical steps. I'll keep reading other books on this topic but this one left me feeling at loose ends about how religion can help other than to realize we are all going to die and we should get used to that idea. I need more.

This is one of the most evocative books I've read. Beal begins by challenging us to confront our own mortality, not just as individuals but as an entire species. On the collective level, many of us have already thrown in the towel and consigned ourselves to the solace and solitude of our own little worlds (easier still thanks to the addictive distractions of streaming, iPads, and smartphones). But what we haven't done is come to terms, spiritually and socially, with the environmental apocalypse that we've set in motion. So how do we reconcile our doom with the desire to continue loving, thriving, and learning? In "When Time Is Short," Beal offers an inspiring answer in what he calls “Palliative Hope.”

Timothy Beal is the kindest, gentlest, clearest guide to the ruined, or nearly ruined, present. Like his other books, When Time Is Short reveals him to be a sharp observer of biblical texts, and biblical culture -- both its creativities and its failures. Traversing the personal, the political, the ecological, and the ethical, he explores the ramifications of world-ending, and promises that facing into human finitude can have its own rich, earthy potential. Would that all our disasters were narrated so generously.

As a person of faith, this book has helped me understand a different aspect what it means to care for creation and for my neighbors. While I will continue to work for systemic change to reduce the impact and injustices of climate change, now I also understand that part of my role is to provide care and compassion for people as they grapple with death and extinction. Together we can help make meaning that gives hope rather than leading to despair.

Dr Beal has given us a necessary correction to our culture’s wrong headed denial about the truth of our present moment. His call for a palliative approach to climate change provides the kind of re-orientation that can allow to act more effectively and avoid the seductions of false hope and frenetic activity. Equally important is his spotlighting the belief systems that empower our denial. This is such an important book that I have purchased a number of copies for friends and will probably buy more.