The Prophets and Our Resources

Review of the previous post.

The previous post, post number 2 of 13, continued introducing the topic and discusses various attempts that use the Bible in the field of Ecology

Preview of this post.

This post, post number 3 of 13, continues introducing the topic and begins a discussion of ecotheology.

I.  Introduction

B. Other attempts to use the Bible in the field of Ecology

2. Ecotheology

Ecotheology is a form of constructive theology that focuses on the interrelationships of religion and nature, particularly in the light of environmental concerns by identifying the ecological significance of Biblical texts and thus to use scripture to assist in developing environmental ethics. Ecotheology generally starts from the premise that a relationship exists between human religious/spiritual worldviews and the degradation of nature. As such, ecotheology generally attempts to take a biblical text and apply its message to modern ecological concerns while preserving the fundamental theological message of the text and thus to discover Bible passages and stories that can be interpreted as showing God punishing humans for their errant stewardship of the earth and thus can support a modern teaching that humans are required to protect the earth and non-human entities by fiat from God. No guidance in how to carry out this task is offered, only support for the act of doing so.

There have been a number of attempts to re-interpret the Bible in light of modern views on ecology. See, for example: Rodd, Cyril S, Glimpses of a Strange Land, Studies in Old Testament Ethics T&T Clark, Ltd, London, 2001, print, see also Deane-Drummond, Ethics of Nature, 31-8, Hessel, Christianity and Ecology; Northcott, Environment; Palmer, Environmental Ethics, David G. Horell, Cheryl Hunt and Christopher Southgate, “Appeals to the Bible in Ecotheology and Environmental Ethics: A Topology of Hermeneutical Studies,” Studies in Christian Ethics 21 (2008): 219-238, The Green Bible (New York Harper Collins, 2011), Norman C. Habel, “Introducing The Earth Bible,” in Readings From the Perspective of Earth, ed Norman C. Habel (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press: 2000), 31; the Earth Bible Project, Noman C. Habel, “Introducing Ecological Hermeneutics,” in Exploring Ecological Hermeneutics, ed. Norman C. Habel and Peter Trudinger (Leide4n” Brill. 2008), 1-8; Hilary Marlow, Biblical Prophets and Contemporary Ethics (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), as well as Neil W. Bertmann, “Ecological Appropriation of Joel” Australian eJournal of Theology 20:1 (April 2013).

Preview of the next post.

The next post, post number 4 of 13, continues introducing the topic and continues the discussion of ecotheology by discussing the shortcomings of the current application of ecotheology.