Christianity and Environmental Ethics

Scott Jenkins and Greg Martin

Dominion

• ‘And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish and the sea, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth over the earth.’ (Genesis 1:26-30).

• Dominion is the idea that the place of humans in creation is that of authority over nature.

• However this does carry with it a notion of responsibility, which is more thoroughly emphasised in the ideas of stewardship.

Stewardship

• Humans are unique in the scheme of God’s creation in that we have a duty of care over the earth and nature.

• The importance of nature can be inferred from scripture, not only in Genesis and the creation story, but throughout the Bible: The Old Testament contains much poetical writing concerning the

agricultural economy of the people of Israel and the land they were given.

Jesus takes many of his parables from the natural world. Paul makes many grand statements about creation in his epistles. ‘Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall

to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs on your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.’ (Matthew 10:29).

Genesis and Stewardship• In the Creation Story, Adam and Eve are depicted as ‘gardener’s of the earth

and creation: ‘to work it and take care of it.’• Implicit in this depiction are several areas of responsibility. We should not

only preserve the beauty of the earth, but also that we should conscientiously use the materials provided to preserve industry: ‘the gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.

• Therefore, pollution and mistreatment of the environment can be seen as a sin as bad as any other, as it is going against our God-given mandate from the beginning of times (a view expressed by John the Metropolitan of Pergamon).

• ‘Christianity, based as it is on the incarnation, regards matter as destined to be the vehicle and instrument of spirit…By the very nature of its central doctrine Christianity is committed to a belief in the reality of matter and its place in the divine scheme.’ (William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury).

The Effect of Man’s Sin

• The Fall is seen by some as the root of our environmental problems, as it is the first point from whence we became poor stewards of creation.

• ‘The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the heavens languish together with the earth.’ (Isaiah 14:4-5).

• Therefore, care for the environment is a way of repairing our bond with God.

• Love of God and of one’s neighbour are fundamental to the Christian faith and ethics, and can also be applied to care for the environment.

Go on clear off u lot

Eve you literally had one job

Haters gonna hate

Differing Views

• Some Christians put more emphasis on the spiritual side of things, and would argue therefore that preservation of the material creation in which we reside is of less importance.

• This especially applies to those Christians who have a tendency towards beliefs based around the Rapture and End-Time Theology; if the earth is to be destroyed anyway then there is not much point going to great lengths to preserve it.

• Pastor John Hagee claims that environmental crises are simply signs of the coming rapture.

Peter Singer

• Singer is critical of what he sees as the ‘Dominant Western tradition’, deeming it to be too anthropocentric.

• Singer attacks the view that humans are the only beings of moral worth, and that therefore we should be able to use the earth simply to our own ends.

• He believes that the ideas of dominion are the root cause of environmental problems.

Alrite luv where u staying tonite??

Oh Pete u naughty flirt!!