Encyclopedia of animal rights and animal 519

476 | Religion and Animals: Saints Linzey, Andrew 1981 Moral education and reverence for life In David A Paterson, ed., Humane education: A symposium, 117–125 London: Humane Education Council Linzey, Andrew 1995 Animal theology London: SCM Press; Urbana: University of Illinois Press Schweitzer, Albert 1970 Reverence for life, R H Fuller, trans., foreword by D E Trueblood London: SPCK Schweitzer, Albert 2008 The ethics of reverence for life In Andrew Linzey and Tom Regan, eds., Animals and Christianity: A book of readings, 118–120, 121–133 London: SPCK, 1989; New York: Crossroad, 1989; Eugene: Oregon: Wipf and Stock Andrew Linzey RELIGION AND ANIMALS: SAINTS There is a remarkable range of material linking Christian saints with animals The stories of St Francis of Assisi preaching to the birds and St Anthony of Padua preaching to the fishes are well known Much less well known are the stories, for example, of St Columba and the crane or St Brendan and the sea monster Most scholars and theologians have dismissed this wealth of material as legend or folklore, but its significance, historically and theologically, can be noted First, it is testimony to a widespread positive tradition within Christianity that has linked spirituality with a benevolent and sensitive regard for animals The underlying rationale for this study of saints appears to be that, as individuals grow in love and communion with their Creator, so too ought they to grow in union and respect for animals as God’s creatures Something like two-thirds of canonized saints East and West apparently befriended animals, healed them from A priest sprinkles holy water to bless a dog during the celebration of the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, at a church in Manila Animal lovers brought their pets to celebrate the annual celebration of the known animal-lover saint (AP Photo/ Pat Roque) suffering, assisted them in difficulty, and celebrated their life through prayer and preaching Second, despite the negative tradition within Christianity that has frequently downgraded animals, regarding them, at worst, as irrational instruments of the Devil, the literature on these saints makes clear God’s benevolent concern for nonhuman creatures and the common origin of all life in God Third, because of this common origin in God, it necessarily follows that there is a relatedness, a kinship between humans and nonhumans According to St Bonaventure, St Francis was able to call creatures “by the name of brother or sister because he knew they had the same source as himself.” Fourth, many of these stories prefigure a world of peaceful relations between humans and