HDR Candidate: Rizzo, Daniela


Title of Project Theological foundations for a pneumatology of animals
Course of Study Doctor of Philosophy
Language of Instruction English
Abstract

This thesis develops a systematic pneumatology of animals, offering a theological framework that accounts for the Spirit’s presence and activity in all creation. It argues for the inclusion of animals within a Spirit-infused vision of creation, engaging with key concepts and unresolved questions in Christian theology to expand the discourse on animal theology. Structured across six thematic chapters, the thesis begins by exploring the pneumatological foundations of animal life in Creation and Covenant (Chapter 2). Drawing on biblical concepts such as ruach (Spirit/breath) and nephesh (soul/life force), it reinterprets these terms within an inclusive framework, suggesting that animals, as recipients of divine breath, are integral participants in creation’s relational and spiritual dynamics. This foundation is extended in Predation and Sin (Chapter 3), which examines the Spirit’s engagement with the complexities of natural evil, suffering, and predation, proposing that these realities are not evidence of divine absence but manifestations of the Spirit’s sustaining and transformative work within a dynamic creation. Building on these insights, Soteriology (Chapter 4) introduces a pneumatological perspective on salvation that affirms animals as active participants in the Spirit’s redemptive mission. By incorporating the concept of deep incarnation and emphasising the Spirit’s role in uniting “all flesh,” this chapter challenges anthropocentric boundaries of salvation. Eschatology (Chapter 5) explores the Spirit’s transformative work in the renewal of creation, drawing on Jürgen Moltmann’s vision of a redeemed ecological community and affirming the continuity of all creatures in the eschatological promise. The thesis culminates in Animal Glossolalia (Chapter 6), where it proposes that animals, as Spirit-baptised beings, contribute to the cosmic chorus of creation through their unique expressions of praise, lament, and prayer. By reframing glossolalia as a universal Spirit-language, this chapter envisions animals as co-participants in divine communication and worship. Through this pneumatological lens, the thesis provides a foundational framework for further scholarship in animal theology, offering a systematic and imaginative exploration of the Spirit’s dynamic presence within the broader community of creation. It invites a reconsideration of animals’ relational existence and theological significance, advancing a holistic vision of creation that integrates animals into the Spirit’s ongoing work of reconciliation, renewal, and communion.