This encyclopedic volume is the most comprehensive collection of original studies on animals and theology ever published. Contributors from both sides of the Atlantic tackle fundamental questions about theology and how it is put into practice.Do animals have immortal souls? Does Christ's reconciling work include animals? Contributors address these issues and more in the context of scriptural perspectives, the Christian tradition, historical disputes, and obligations to animals.As Andrew Linzey points out in his introduction, it cannot be right for theological practitioners to carry on their business as though the world of animals were invisible. Mainstream Christianity still propagates a range of ideas about animals that are hugely detrimental to their status and welfare. This important volume argues that it is time for a change.