Tattered Cover is pleased to welcome Timothy Beal to our McGregor Square location on July 8th at 6pm to present his new book When Time Is Short: Finding Our Way in the Anthropocene. The reading will be followed by a Q&A and a signing. This is a free event.
With faith, hope, and compassion, acclaimed religion scholar Timothy Beal shows us how to navigate the inevitabilities of the climate crisis and the very real—and very near—possibility of human extinction
What if it’s too late to save ourselves from climate crisis? When Time is Short is a meditation for what may be a finite human future that asks how we got here to help us imagine a different relationship to the natural world.
Modern capitalism, as it emerged, drew heavily upon the Christian belief in human exceptionalism and dominion over the planet, and these ideas still undergird our largely secular society. They justified the pillaging and eradication of indigenous communities and plundering the Earth’s resources in pursuit of capital and lands.
But these aren’t the only models available to us—and they aren’t even the only models to be found in biblical tradition. Beal re-reads key texts to anchor us in other ways of being—in humbler conceptions of humans as earth creatures, bound in ecological interdependence with the world, subjected to its larger reality. Acknowledging that any real hope must first face and grieve the realities of climate crisis, Beal makes space for us to imagine new possibilities and rediscover ancient ones. What matters most when time becomes short, he reminds us, is always what matters most.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Timothy Beal is Distinguished University Professor and Florence Harkness Professor of Religion at Case Western Reserve University. He has published essays on religion and culture for the New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, Wall Street Journal, CNN.com, and Washington Post, and is the author of several books, including Roadside Religion and The Rise and Fall of the Bible.
THINGS TO KNOW
Parking can be tricky downtown, but there are plenty of garages nearby. We recommend "1800 Wazee Street Parking" (on the corner of 18th and Wazee), "1700 18th Street Garage" (on the corner of 18th and Wynkoop), or "1899 Wynkoop Garage" (on the corner of 19th and Wynkoop). Of course there are plenty of other options!
We also offer local beer and wine and this location to enjoy during events and shopping. Please ask a bookseller about what offerings we currently have!
