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Christianity and the Environment (cont’d) As historian Lynn White notes in his controversial 1967 article, “The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis,” Christianity has Long viewed the environment in strongly anthropocentric terms.<br>
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Christianity and the Environment (cont’d) A key text undergirding such anthropocentrism: God gives humans “dominion” over all other living things and commands humans to fill the earth and “subdue” it. (Genesis 1:28)<br>
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Christianity and the Environment (cont’d) White’s conclusion: Christianity has Played a major role in causing our ecological crisis and we must either reject it or rethink it.<br>
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Christianity and the Environment (cont’d) Two common responses to White: * White overstates the role of Christianity in causing the ecological crisis. Many non-Christian cultures (e.g., India and communist Russia) also have poor environmental records.<br>
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Christianity and the Environment (cont’d) Two common responses to White (cont’d): * White ignores numerous pro-environmental passages in the Bible.<br>
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Christianity and the Environment (cont’d) Two common responses to White (cont’d): For instance, Adam and Eve are commanded to “till and keep” the Garden of Eden, not to abuse it. (Gen. 2:15) Also, that we should have “regard” for the life of our animals. (Prov. 12:10)<br>
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Christianity and the Environment (cont’d) Two common responses to White (cont’d): A common claim today: The bible supports a “stewardship” model of environmental concern.<br>
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Christianity and the Environment (cont’d) Two common responses to White (cont’d): A good steward is a kind of faithful caretaker or trustee who cares for, preserves, and perhaps improves the earth and its ecosystems in ways that God would approve.<br>
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Christianity and the Environment (cont’d) Two common responses to White (cont’d): Common criticisms of the idea of biblical stewardship:<br>
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Christianity and the Environment (cont’d) Two common responses to White (cont’d): 1. It relies on religious assumptions we should reject. 2. It’s rooted in pride and an exaggerated sense of our importance (Stephen J. Gould)<br>
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Christianity and the Environment (cont’d) Two common responses to White (cont’d): 3. Are humans wise and unselfish enough to be good stewards of nature?<br>
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Christianity and the Environment (cont’d) Two common responses to White (cont’d): 4. How can we know what environmental actions and attitudes God would approve?<br>
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Four other Religious traditions and the environment: * Buddhism * Taoism * Hinduism * Native American<br>
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Buddhism Founder: Siddartha Gautama (c. 490 – 410 BCE) Buddhism generally encourages pro-environmental attitudes.<br>
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Buddhism (Cont’d) Some Buddhist teachings that encourage respect for nature and non-human living things: * Ahimsa (non-harming) and karuna (compassion) * The first of the five Precepts: Refrain from taking life, including animal life<br>
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Buddhism (Cont’d) Buddhist teachings that encourage respect for nature and non-human living things (cont’d): * Reincarnation (humans may be reborn as animals)<br>
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TAOIsm (pronounced Dow-ism) An ancient Chinese religion/spiritual tradition reputedly founded by Lao Tzu in the 6th century BCE. Key Text: Tao Te Ching (“The Book of the Way and its Power”).<br>
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TAOIsm (cont’d) Key concept of Taoism = living in harmony with the Tao, the ultimate reality that underlies all things. The Tao cannot be grasped through words or rational thought, but only by intuition in moments of quietude and tranquility.<br>
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TAOIsm (cont’d) Taoists see nature as a harmony of opposites (yin and Yang) and seek to live a “natural” life of simplicity, humility, spontaneity, non-conflict, and few desires.<br>
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TAOIsm (cont’d) Taoists embrace the concept of Wu-wei (literally, “not doing”), which stresses letting things happen naturally or spontaneously, without forcing or meddlesome striving.<br>
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Hinduism An ancient Indian religion that stresses the ultimate oneness of reality. Since reality is one, there is no human-nature divide. Humans are part of nature and everything is part of God.<br>
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Hinduism (Cont’d) Like Buddhists, Hindus believe in ahimsa (non-harming) and reincarnation. Many are vegetarians. Many Hindus reverence trees as conscious entities and as symbols of various aspects of the divine.<br>
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Native American Spirituality Some common beliefs: * Great Spirit and Earth mother * pan-psychism (belief that all things are alive and sentient)<br>
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Native American Spirituality Some common beliefs: * *universal kinship of all living creatures as children of the Great Spirit * belief that humans should be caretakers of the land and use resources sustainably<br>
