E1.1 environmental issues

• dominion: the view that humas exercise a unique place in God's created order, which means they alone have authority over the material world
• geophysiological paradigm: investigating the Earth as if it were a living organism
• pantheism: the idea that God is everywhere in nature
• shallow ecology: the natural world only has extrinsic value, instrumental to humans - a means to an end. Their conservation is important for humans
• speciesism: the assumption that human beings are superior; for Peter Singer, this is a form of racism
• stewardship: humans have a special place in the natural world and have an essential responsibility for it; Christians regard this responsibility as God-given
• deep ecology, Naess: all living beings have inherent worth regardless of their instrumental utility to humans
• Origen, Aquinas, Luther: God gave us dominion = do what we want with earth
• Cornwall Alliance: God has made the world so perfect that we cannot destroy it. Rejects man-made climate change
• Origen: “the creator has made everything to serve humans”
• James G Watt: rapture - earth is temporary so can use it for what we want
• Francis Bacon: nature = "slave"; humans’ job to control + use it how we want
• Descartes, Aquinas: animals have no souls – machines
• R Bauckman: nature has intrinsic value beyond our use as God made it; God's creation not human property
• St John of Chrysostom: “We ought to show them [animals] great kindness [...] they are of the same origin as ourselves”
• Church of England: “Stewardship implies caring management, not selfish exploitation”
• Pope Francis: "Everything has been entrusted to our protection”
• Lynn White: Christianity to blame for climate crisis - anthropocentric dominion, nature only for humans
• Give 2 responses to Lynn White:

  Christianity to blame for climate crisis - anthropocentric dominion, nature only for humans

  1. Not just Christians, e.g. Romans destroyed 10,000s of acres of forests
  2. Good Christian stewards, e.g. St Francis of Assisi