define stewardship
a theological idea which states god has given the earth to humans and he expects us to look after it. We are stewards of the earth
define dominion
Dominion refers to humanity’s God-given authority to rule, manage, and have power over the Earth and its creatures
what is the christian approach to environmental ethics primarily drawn from?
Genesis
what does genesis state and what do religious believers infer from it?
after every day, god said ‘it was great’ - many believe we should therefore value, uphold and look after the world. The world perfectly suits us, e.g temperature, so we should care for it
what did God tell adam and eve and what do christians believe?
to ‘rule over’ the word
some believe Humans are called to govern the Earth on God’s behalf, serving, protecting, and managing creation while reflecting His loving care and authority.
Think of a synoptic link, which philosopher can you link to the christian approach of interpreting the world?
st augustine and his soul deciding theodicy in evil and suffering
what are people made in and what are we superior than?
gods image, we are superior to animals as we have a soul and were made last - highlighting our dominion over earth
what does leviticus say about land?
the land needs rest - we must let land go fallow.
what does the bible emphasise about beauty?
there is beauty in creation (aesthetic argument)
what does christian aid do?
focus on environmental issues, they’re currently helping Sudan because of the floods
what does intrinsically valuable mean?
it is good within itself and we should protect nature because it’s genuinely important
what does instrumentally valuable mean?
it is valuable because of what it does FOR US - we should protect nature bcs it sustains us and pleasures us
why can the christian approach be seen as instrumental and anthropocentric?
the world is only important because of the impact it has on humans and our relationship w god
- humans have greater moral significance as we were made last and in gods image, we have a soul and are able to reason
why doesnt aquinas believe humans can commit sin against ?
the earth
what do a minority of radical ctians see care of the earth as?
irrelevant - judgement days coming soon and all will be destroyed anyway, we should just focus on being good christians so we can go to heaven
- they believe destruction foreshadows judgement day
what does theocentric mean?
god centred
what do ctians believe about the fall and the environment?
environmental damage is part of human sin and therefore should be rectified. restoring the world can help restore humankinds relationship with god that was damaged through the fall
what did pope francis say about environmental damage and exploitation?
‘consider it a gift which we must care for’
name some strengths of the christian approach to the environment
- ctian organisations like caid are able to mobalise many ppl and amass significant funds
-concern for the poor and underprivileged means theres significant focus on the developing world
name some weaknesses of the christian approach to the environment
-with their views being mostly instrumental, they dont value the true worth of nature
-anthropocentric so neglects animals
- religious leaders and organisations can only help so much, it is up to the govt and politicians to make real impact
- singer says ctianity is speciesist - only cares about humans and neglects animals and nature
- white argues the historical roots of our ecological crisis are in ctianity
what type of value does conservation ethics have?
instrumental and anthropocentric
what type of approach is conservation ethics?
secular
what does conservation ethics claim?
protection of the environment should take place because it is in our interest to do so
- environmental issues cost us money, health,safety and aesthetic enjoyment.
what approach does conservation employ SL?
utilitarian - more ppl will be happy for generations if we protect the environment
