Re-exploring our Sacred Connection to Nature (original) (raw)
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The dominion clause stated in which had been seen by humankind states as Gods mandate to devastate and pillage the earth. The clause "subdue" and "have dominion" in Gen. 1:26-28 is rooted in the "imago Dei" theology prominent in the Judeo-Christian tradition. This tended to lend credence to man's claim of superiority over nature. As a result of this humankind posture of overlord for centuries ago over the entire Oikoumene-the earth that was originally designed by God to house man and other species had not seen respite through series of vandalization and nefarious activities. The above state of man and nature's 'cat and dog, relationship had led some social ethicists to doubt if there is any hope for God's good earth whose verdict par excellence was given by God of Gen. 1:31. Nature theologians had also joined the cue on this quest for new paradigms in Ecology pegging its feet on the Erotology of sustainability. This paper through radical quest into some traditional stand of the Judeo-Christian faith; seeks a balance from sound biblical exegesis of the dominion clause in Genesis 1:26-28; hence setting the paradigms for the church in understanding Eco-stewardship as her divine mandate.
Basing its arguments on the biblical accounts of creation found in the first two chapters of the book of Genesis, this paper try to demonstrated that the Judeo-Christian Creation tradition is or was wrongly accused of being the basis of excessive and harmful exploitation of the planet by granting superiority and power to human beings over other creatures. In making them pinnacle of creation, God also entrusts the care of his creation to human beings. In a sense, their dignity gives them more responsibility. Should we then see only dominion over creation or there is also a clear responsibility of human beings for creation? In our view, a coherent interpretation of the biblical creation narratives would lead to a pro-ecological attitude, asking the care of our environment which is God's garden.
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP: EMERGING TRENDS IN CHRISTIAN ECOLOGICAL ETHICS
Destruction and dilapidation of Earth’s ecology and natural capital in the present ethos is leading theologians and ethicists to seek the support of religious scriptures and theology for the growth of ecological sustainability and environmental ethics. The ecological response to Biblical ideas has facilitated the birth of an eco-theology which suggests the notion of responsible stewardship. Biblical attitude and principles have primarily been believed to have a destructive tendency towards nature and condemned for being the key root to ecological crisis. This notion not only questions the assumptions made about God’s relation with the world, created by Him in His own image, but also claims a major conflict between environmental ethics and Christian theology. Hence the Biblical basis for preservation and conservation of Nature needs to be deeply explored in order to re-establish the ecological connection between Man and the Eternal Being. Christianity has a long historical relation with nature and humanity. Christian Ecological ethics focuses its attention on the Christian scriptures, liturgical and spiritual practices centred on environmental conservation. The doctrine of stewardship occurring in Genesis points out man’s role of stewardship rather than ownership, entrusting him the responsibility of guarding nature by opposing policies and practices which pose a threat to the ecosystem. The Prophetic Books in the Old Testament reveal nature’s major role in the revelation of God’s purpose on Earth. Its destruction is also symbolic of the declining relation between God and humans. The relation between God, Man and Nature remains indispensable. In this paper, I intend to use the theological response to environmental crisis, re-examining the Biblical and ecclesiastical customs and traditions in ecological terms and thereby bring certain Biblical texts into sharp focus in order to explore and reinforce the unalterable and consistent affiliation between spirituality and cosmology.
Humanity and Nature According to the Jewish Scriptures
Environmental concerns touch the lives of all peoples and corners of the earth, in subtler but no less real terms than the shadow of nuclear disaster. Those in industrialized nations, from the high executives in the industrial-military complex to very ordinary people in their family life, bear a heavy responsibility for the present widespread problems of pollution and misuse of resources. How can they be reached so that their consciences will be informed?
Science, Religious Naturalism, and Biblical Theology: Ground for the Emergence of Sustainable Living
During this century, humans must learn to live in ways that are sustainable, both ecologically and morally. The global community already consumes more ecological resources than Earth can generate; population growth and increasing development are widening that gap. We suggest that paths to sustainability can be found by mindful reflection on meanings discerned in the convergence of a scientific understanding of nature, religious naturalism, and biblical understandings of creation. The patterns of ecological sustainability observed in natural systems and the wise ways of relating to the land discerned in the Hebrew Bible suggest that sustainability must be grounded in social and ecological justice and that just ways of living can emerge from a deep sense of the ways in which nature and all of humanity are interdependent. We conclude that the twentieth-century emphasis on individual control of our future must make room for the emergence of a new understanding of mutuality. There can be no flourishing apart from mutual flourishing.
Environmental Justice for Sustainable Development: A Biblical Perspective
The growing awareness of environmental crisis has led to widespread religious reflection on the human relationship with the environment. After perceiving the goodness of the world that he had created, God created humanity in his own image. The perfectly created human being was placed in harmony with the world and was told to subdue it. Human beings were asked to rule and not to destroy the world. This implies that God placed the duty of Stewardship upon humanity. It is the role of humanity to preserve the environment. Genesis 1:27 clearly asserts that God created human beings and this is fundamental to environmental justice which affirms the social and economical right as well as environmental self determination. The basic assumption of this paper is that, environmental justice is the spring board for sustainable development. The researcher of this paper has seen to it that deforestation is devastating the environment, good arable land is eroding, streams are getting polluted or drying up and women have to go further to find ever-scarcer firewood in the rural areas. More to this people are fighting to lay their hands on gold, diamonds, silver, emeralds, ivory, petroleum and the like. All these constitute what we call environment. If people could learn to be in harmony with the environment, there will be environmental sustainability hence development. The goal of this paper is to argue that human beings were placed on this earth to maintain it and live in harmony with it. If people manage to be just to the environment then there will be peace in the world. The other basis of this paper is that the issue of environmental justice is Biblical and that human activities have an effect on the environment hence causing an imbalance in the ecosystem with no peace at all. The paper is based on Mathew 7:15-20 where Jesus talked about bearing good fruits through which God's people are recognised. This paper will suggest that we need to rethink our understanding of the relation of humanity to nonhuman nature and to develop a more adequate theology of nature for representing God's relation to the created order. This article intends to offer some biblical-theological considerations to be borne in mind in the ecological discussion. It does not deal with the practicalities of stewardship of the environment per se but suggests a framework within which that stewardship can be fostered. The article tries to raise the theology of environmental justice and see how it can help us to be just and peaceful in this world. The paper will argue that although the importance of individual action can't be overestimated, it will never solve a problem that is at heart. Until our profit-driven economies are redirected to take long-range effects into account, the earth will continue to be polluted and peace and justice will remain the words on the mouth but never achieved, practiced and cherished in human life. Book review and personal observations are going to be used to scrape together data for this paper. 1.0 Introduction The growing awareness of environmental crisis has led to widespread religious reflection on the human relationship with the environment. After perceiving the goodness of the world that he had created, God created humanity in his own image. The perfectly created human being was placed in harmony with the environment and was told to subdue it. This implies that, God placed the duty of Stewardship upon humanity. When God created the universe, all the resources were in a perfect and complete state, under the care of humankind. God gave the Garden of Eden to Adam and Eve for their recreation in addition to other resources. However, today the scenario looks pathetic to an extent that human beings can no longer rely on the same resources for their fulfilment. Due to numerous factors in opposition to one another, human beings through their selfish actions have blundered the rich resources meant for their comfort thus reducing themselves to a state of destitution. It is in light of this background that this paper intends to argue that, the Biblical environmental justice is the spring board for sustainable development. In other words, there is a significant relationship between God, humanity and the environment. Today deforestation is devastating the environment, good arable land is eroding, streams are getting polluted or drying up and women have to go further to find ever-scarcer firewood in the rural areas. More to this, people are fighting to lay their hands on gold, diamonds, silver, emeralds, ivory, petroleum and the like. All these problems can be put to an end if people could learn to be in harmony with the environment and there will be environmental sustainability hence development. If there is no peace between God and humanity, the earth or environment also suffers unjustly. So, we need to rethink our understanding of the relation of humanity to nonhuman nature and to develop a more adequate theology of nature for representing God's relation to the created order if we are to achieve sustainable development. This paper will kick off by defining key terms like environmental justice and sustainable development. Thereafter we discuss the concept of environmental justice in the light of the bible. The paper will end by giving recommendations on how we can manage the environment. Biblical hermeneutics, personal observations and book review were found appropriate for this study. The methods allowed the researcher to navigate the turbulent waters of environmental justice for sustainable development from a biblical perspective.
To Care For it and Maintain It: Environmental Ethics in the Bible
Defence & Confirmation, 2016
The emergence of environmental ethics in the Western world is typically dated to the nineteenth century. However, modern environmentalism was preceded by over two thousand years by Scriptural teaching. This article demonstrates that the Law of Moses contains important ecological care legislation, and that this was well understood by early Jewish commentators. Ecological care in the Law of Moses It is well recognized that the early Hebrews maintained a high degree of ecological sustainability which was unique to their era. "Archaeological records show that the Israelites were the first example in world history of a society that succeeded in managing a sustained management of their environment for about thousand and seven hundred years." 1 "Thus the ancient Israelites developed a level of environmental sensitivity. They were aware of the fact that they had settled in an area with a fragile ecology. They knew that their land would be fertile only if it was managed with proper care." 2 This was a direct result of the Law of Moses, 3 which regulated fruit crops, 4 prohibited certain mixed crops, 5 and required the non-cultivation of the land in the seventh year, enabling the land to recover from human activity. 6 1
The Command to Rule over the Creation (Gen 1:26–28) in the Ecological Hermeneutics of the Bible
Collectanea Theologica 90, no. 5, 9–32, 2020
In the discussions on the possible religious background of the current ecological crisis, the biblical text of Genesis 1:26–28 is the passage most often quoted by all sides of the debate. While for some it is an incentive to unlimited exploitation, and the resultant degradation of the natural environment, for others it carries a positive ecological message and a call for responsible care of the created world. Due to this ambiguity in interpretations, this article attempts to resolve whether the biblical text itself is problematic, and requires correction, or whether it is ecologically adequate, and it is the interpretations that have been thus far insufficient. Each of the three main currents of the ecological hermeneutics of the Bible (apologetic, radical, and neoorthodox) offers its own specific answer to this question.