Original dialogues between Pope Francis and Carlo Petrini, the Slow Food movement's founder, on biodiversity, the economy, migration, education, and community
In 2015, Pope Francis launched the idea of "integral ecology" with his encyclical Laudato Si', addressing Catholics, followers of other faiths, and nonbelievers alike. This groundbreaking reflection examined the serious environmental deterioration of our planet caused by scandalously unjust and irresponsible economic and political systems.
Among the thought leaders who inspired Pope Francis was Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food movement. This movement shares the global commitment to "cultivate and protect" human and earthly goods, proceeding with revolutionary pragmatism toward a life in harmony with oneself, with one's community, and with nature. Terrafutura features three original dialogues between Pope Francis and Petrini, exploring themes of biodiversity, the economy, migration, education, and community. Petrini's writings alternate with passages from papal documents, such as the intense "Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonia," the lively intervention "(Re)thinking Europe," and the affectionate exhortations to Laudato Si' communities, which suggest new ways of designing the economy and political systems and opening fraternal horizons to the comparison between lay and religious people and between the different cultures of the world.
This book, which represents a radical step in developing the concept of integral ecology, will appeal to readers interested in links between climate change / sustainability and economic systems, as well as theologians, papal scholars, environmental activists, and nonprofits. By connecting contemporary discourse with religious texts, Terrafutura will inspire readers to embrace pacifist, collective activism and envision new models of coexistence in an environment that is "good, clean, and fair."
Reviews
"Terrafutura shines as a manifesto of social friendship—showing how 'cultural biodiversity' can help us read today's world and imagine tomorrow's. Through the radical honesty of dialogue between Pope Francis and Carlo Petrini, it advances an ethic rooted in difference, solidarity, and the pursuit of a sustainable and humane future."—Fr. Antonio Spadaro, SJ, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See
"As the Church and the world continue to receive Laudato Si' and live more fully into the truth of humanity's interconnection with one another, with creation and with past and future generations, these dialogues will be an indispensable resource. Terrafutura models Pope Francis's way of proceeding, which is marked by humility and openness to the wisdom that can be found in dialogue across difference. Enjoy the feast!"—Kate Ward, associate professor of theology at Marquette University, author of Wealth, Virtue, and Moral Luck: Christian Ethics in an Age of Inequality
"What does the Slow Food movement have to do with Catholic social teaching? In this collection, Pope Francis and Carlo Petrini collaborate to show us, demonstrating that the intersection of their wisdom and expertise has much to teach people of goodwill about biodiversity, human communities, and the most important questions of twenty-first-century life. Combining generative, wide-ranging dialogues and key texts from both thinkers, this is inspiring and challenging reading."—Kevin J. O'Brien, professor of Christian and environmental ethics at Pacific Lutheran University, author of Meeting the Enemy: The Fossil Fuel Industry and the Power of Christian Climate Resistance
About the Author
Carlo Petrini is the founder of the global Slow Food movement, the University of Gastronomic Sciences, and Terra Madre, a global network of more than two thousand food communities.
