dominion + stewardship

Subdecks (1)

Cards (14)

  • dominion = humans having power over the rest of the created world
  • stewardship = responsible care for the rest of the world; humans are God's agents
  • dominion as: unrestricted power over animals + environment
    dominion as: stewardship
  • humans are described as having been made "little less than God"
  • imago Dei: humans are made in the image of God
    • "fill the earth and subdue it" - power
  • "the fear of you and the dread of you"
    "every moving thing that lives shall be food for you"
    • dominion means humans are feared by all other creatures + the earth is to be subdued
  • dominion is anthropocentric + anthropomorphic
    • arguably encouraged environmental destruction
    • humans having 'power over' leads to humans abusing the environment to satisfy their needs due to belief that animal do not have souls
  • dominion as stewardship:
    • idea of caretaker
    • "to work it and take care of it": Adam's role in the Garden of Eden
    • we are made in God's image, therefore need to do some of his work
    • God viewed his creation as "good": intrinsic value of the environment because God made it + it reflects God's goodness
  • Augustine's Principles of Plenitude
    • a universe with many species is much better than a universe with only one
    • this influences Christian consideration of environmental issues + endangered species
    • evolution = God's plan
    • makes humans less important + environment very important - in order to maintain species