David C. McDUFFIE. Nature’s Sacrament: The Epic of Evolution and a Theology of Sacramental Ecology. Winchester, UK: Christian Alternative Books, 2021. pp. 123. $14.95 pb. ISBN 978-1-78904-717-2. Reviewed by Stephen S. WILBRICHT, Stonehill College, Easton, Massachusetts 02354.

This is an important book for anyone who would argue that science and religion are incapable of coexisting with one another.  David McDuffie’s short work demonstrates that the epic of evolution and a sacramental universe are far from mutually exclusive and can together contribute to an ethics of care for and partnership with all that exists.  The author states that the goal of the book is to “provide a framework for clergy and laity that will assist in envisioning the protection and conservation of the ecological communities of our planet not as a peripheral or additional theological concern but as an integral part of the sacramental life of the church” (5).

Nature’s Sacrament consists of five chapters of equal length.  Chapter one explores precisely how a religious value flows from an awareness of the connectedness of all life on Earth.  In other words, the story of this world’s creation must be told from the perspective of the interdependence of all living and non-living material.  Chapter two examines an understanding of grace that comes not from supernatural realities but from the contours of nature itself.  McDuffie writes:  “It is through the acceptance of the broader sacramentality of a sacramental universe where the Christian concept of sacramental grace is seamlessly brought into a relationship with the ecological value inspired through a proper interpretation of the evolutionary epic” (28).  Thus, the story of evolution cannot be something added on to religious thought, but rather, it must arise from a sacramental worldview that see all things as potential bearers of grace.  Thus, McDuffie contends that nature is the primary source for all sacraments (31).

It is precisely at this point when readers might begin to ask:  where is Christ in this understanding of sacramentality?  Thus, McDuffie’s third chapter takes seriously the presence of Christ in the celebration of the Eucharist, and thus, sacraments in general.  In this chapter, the author employs traditional concepts of “sacrifice” and “offering,” while also seeking to do away with linking the Eucharist to theories of atonement.  He wishes to change the sacramental narrative to that of self-sacrifice.  McDuffie writes:  “By embracing a life-affirming narrative of service in the world, our participation in the Eucharist becomes an impetus for us to emulate Jesus by entering into the sacrificial, self-giving life characterized by our intimate connection with our fellow worshipers, the wider cultural communities in which we exist, and all life that exists and continues to emerge from its creative, divine source” (45).  Thus, the author suggests that the Christian tradition of seeking Christ’s presence in the sacraments is not a hindrance to a sacramental worldview of God’s grace in all of creation; rather, divine revelation in Christ allows for an enduring encounter of “real presence” in all things, “a presence that binds everything that exists together in a vast interconnected divine embrace” (54-55).

The expanded awareness of God’s grace as a part of the natural rather than the supernatural proceeds into the fourth and fifth chapters, in which McDuffie discusses the ethical outcomes of such a worldview.  First, in chapter four, the author tackles the subject of the priest’s role in the celebration of the sacraments, concluding that the priest does not serve to channel God’s grace into the world but rather works to develop an awareness of God’s grace in all things.  Here McDuffie quotes a beautiful statement by John Habgood:  “Sacramental action is thus essentially a matter of cooperation rather than co-creation” (67).  Finally, chapter five demonstrates how Christian sacramental worship has tremendous value for the wider culture in which it exists.  Too often, Christians understand sacraments as special signs that separate believers from the world.  McDuffie’s primary argument is that a broader understanding of sacramentality allows Christians to immerse themselves deeper into the world with a greater sense of awe.  The celebration of the sacraments challenges the world to see that it is in “desperate need of re-enchantment” (80).

As stated at the outset of this review, Nature’s Sacrament is an important book.  The author makes it clear that clergy are among those most in need of understanding the sacramental value of ecology and developing a sacramental practice that is ecologically grounded.  As a Roman Catholic reviewer and a liturgical theologian, missing for me in this book is concrete reference to the Paschal Mystery, the centerpiece of all liturgy.  While McDuffie talks explicitly about the Incarnation of Christ as well as the importance of the self-sacrificial nature of Christians, he does refer to the Paschal Mystery as absolutely essential in the Christian worldview.  He points to this when he discusses the “creative emergence of life from death” (92) that is found in both the epic of evolution and in Christian faith.  Similarly, from a Catholic perspective, I was disappointed not to see Kevin Irwin’s name in the book’s bibliography, specifically his 2002 article “A Sacramental World—Sacramentality as the Primary Language for Sacraments.”