Subduers of the earth? : the Bible, Christian faith and environmental ethics

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:I begin this assignment with an examination of verses such as Gen. 1:28 from the period ofprimeval history in the Old Testament (0. T.) of the Christian Bible which have been seen by somecommentators, particularly Lynn White, as being responsible for a despotic attitude towards thenatural environment and consequently for much of the damage that has been done to theenvironment. These texts are critically examined to determine whether one may interpret them inthat manner but also taking into account the form and context of writing. The 'despotic'interpretation of these texts is contrasted with the views of others, such as Robin Attfield who seein them a call to stewardship, not a licence to ruthlessly subjugate. Attfield particularly does notbelieve that these ancient texts can be held responsible for the present ecological crisis.Thereafter an examination is made ofO.T. texts which refer to the concept of rest for the earthwhich, for our present-day context is interpreted in this assignment as a rest from the rigours ofenvironmental degradation and from the over-exploitation of the earth's resources.New Testament (N.T.) texts are also critically examined in section 4, examining in the gospelsJesus' attitude towards the natural environment, and also other N.T. texts, particularly from theepistles ofSt Paul. The conclusion in this section is that the N.T. writers portray a benevolentattitude towards non-human nature and portray God as caring for even those inhabitants of thenatural realm which humans may deem insignificant, eg, the sparrows referred to in Luke 12: 6.In section 5, there is once again an examination ofN.T. texts, but this time for the purposes ofre-interpreting the concept of salvation so that it embraces the whole of creation and not onlyhumankind. The point of departure here is that humans cannot be separated from their non-humanenvironment on this earth. Salvation and reconciliation is for the whole of the created order, asSt Paul seems to indicate. Therefore in this section of the assignment an holistic view of salvationis adopted: we are saved in our world and with our world, not apart from it and out of it.Section 6 endeavours to draw together the criteria that would inform an environmental ethic thatChristians can subscribe to, given the approach that has been taken in the previous sections of theassignment; 6.2 lists the features necessary for such an ethic. An examination is also made ofvarious ethical theories such as Natural Law (Teleology), Utilitarianism, and Deontology andwhat impact they would have if applied in an environmental framework. This section ends in 6.5with an overview of the main tenets of the Deep Ecology movement, not viewing it so much asan ethical system, but more as a set of values which accord with a deep respect for all of natureand which may guide humankind to transform destructive attitudes towards the environment.Because this assignment deals with Christian morality in respect of the environment, it is necessaryto critically examine the concept of stewardship which is the thrust of section 7, titled'Stewardship Revisited'. The views of Robin Attfield, John Passmore and William Dyrness withregard to stewardship in the Bible and Christian tradition are contrasted. Thereafter ElizabethDodson Gray's views are referred to and supported as the way towards a much-neededtransformation of humans' attitude to the natural environment. Gray rejects the notion ofstewardship as an acceptable environmental ethic because it retains the overtones of dominationand paternalism. It is concluded that stewardship, even if it is biblically justified and is supportedby Christian tradition, has failed to arrest the degradation and destruction of the naturalenvironment caused by human activities. This then leads on to the next section where thisassignment supports Gray's 'Ethic of Attunement'.'Becoming Attuned', the heading of the section describes in two words the basis of ElizabethGray's environmental ethic. It is noted here that she calls upon humankind to become attuned toour ecosystems and the life-support systems in the biosphere and to plan and structure ourindustries and activities to 'fit in'. Gray's ethic of attunement is also supported because it ispractical, down-to-earth and takes into account the needs of human beings as part of nature.Section 9 gives a brief overview of some practical implications and applications of an ethic ofattunement. The fields of education, industry, farming, energy and nature-conservation aretouched on. The last subsection under 9, 9.6, gives a recent example of a clash between humanand non-human nature in the Cape Peninsula, namely, the so-called invasion of residential areasby baboons. How this problem may be dealt with under an ethic of attunement is discussed.This assignment concludes in section 10 with the exhortation to move beyond an ethic ofstewardship of the natural environment to one ofattunement. Moreover, the urgency of doing sois emphasised. If we do not change our ways to fit in with nature, planet Earth is doomed toeco logical destruction.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University