Eco-theology and Earth-Ethics

Eco-theology and Earth-Ethics

March 2017                                                                                      Presenter: Laldanmawia

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Introduction

Traditional Christian theology is very much anthropocentric in nature. It does not pay sufficient attention to environment and ecology, or the earth as a whole. Most theological discourses concentrate more and more on human life and welfare, on the other hand neglecting nature. The dangers of ecological crisis have contributed significantly to a new awareness of environmental sustainability. In that situation, the eco-theology came into existence promoting the earth ethics. It promotes religious reflection on human relationship with the nature. This paper tries to bring the emergence, perspective and issues of Eco-theology and Earth-Ethics, viewing Indian context mainly.

1. Theology with Ecological Perspective: A New Dimension

As said in the introduction, Traditional dominant Western Christian theologies stressed heavily on Christology as the focus and they were anthropocentric in its approach with philosophical intellectualism in its language. Jesus Christ was mostly confessed within the framework of the doctrine of Trinity, but from time to time theology changes its paradigm. The shifts have been, according to K. Thanzauva, eschatological-apologetic-mediative-rationalistic-reformation-liberal-evangelical-ecumenical-contextual and liberation.[1] Changes in paradigm happened in Christian history due to failure in addressing the changing context. Thus, when it comes to the context of ecology, ecological and environmental problems urge us to discern from secular and religious perspectives. 

Lynn Townsend White published an article “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis” in 1967 to critic Christian theology from ecological perspective. He argued that Judeo-Christian theology was fundamentally exploitative of the natural world because it asserts human’s domination over nature and thus it promotes a trend of anthropocentrism.[2] This article opened a debate on the relationship of theology to the modern ecological crisis. Different interpretations in the Christian theology as well as intensive nature disaster caused by global warming stimulated Christian theologians to reexamine the core value of Christian religion, which led to the emergence of a new dimension in Christian theology that we may call Eco-theology.

Thus the emerging Eco-theology, as a form of constructive theology, focuses on the interrelationships of religion and nature, particularly in the light of environmental concerns. It is an ecological approach to theology that means linking Christian faith and spirituality with ecology. It is a theology that calls people not to concentrate solely on the redemption theme of the Bible, but to broaden their perspective.[3] Generally it starts from the premise that a relationship exists between human religious/spiritual worldviews and the degradation of nature. 

2. Biblical Bases for Eco-theology and Earth-Ethics

2.1. The Old Testament: We can see the beginning of the eco-theology in the accounts of creation in Genesis. There is very close relationship between human and the land, because the name ‘Adam’ is derived from the term ‘Adama’ which is the feminine gender meaning for the land or earth or ground. Therefore, we are from the beginning, inseparable from the very stuff of creation (Gen. 3:19).[4] God created human on the sixth day may be because He already knows that human is dependent and he will starve for the needs. So God created all things first and at last He created humans to have all these dependents realities.

We can also see the nomadic and agricultural life in the stories of Cain and Abel, Lot and Abraham, Esau and Jacob, etc. They were very much dependent on the creations for their livelihood. God made a covenant with Noah after the great flood by which Noah can be considered as the first deep Ecologist in the Bible because God made the covenant with him and his fellow creatures. The book of Deuteronomy speaks of a blessing to live on the land as long as the heavens are above the Earth (11:21), which means a life on Earth. Here is a specific idea reflected that we do not necessarily belong to the other – worldly life but to a life on earth.[5]

Humans can learn wisdom from tiny creatures like ants (Prov. 6:6). The book of Proverbs ends with the note that God is the ultimate power over nature. In the book of Ecclesiastes, we can see that humans are not superior in many ways (Ecc. 3:18-21). The words of Prophet Jeremiah emphasized on taking care of the land wherever the people may be, whether it is in the time of Exile or any other time, because the Earth belongs to God. In the book of Ezekiel, we can see that God claims his sovereignty over the land and resources.[6] Since God is sovereign who rule upon the earth, how can we predict to maintain human-centredness on this Earth?

2.2. The New Testament: The Gospel of Mark sees that Jesus was in a wilderness and was friendly with wild animals after his forty days fasting. Jesus is seen as second Adam who lived among the wild animals (Mark. 1:13). In the Gospel of Matthew, we can see one of the beatitude that speaks, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the Earth (Matt. 5:5). The people who are gentle and soft towards the Earth are eligible to inherit the Earth. The author recorded many ecological images in this gospel. ‘The harvest is plentiful but workers are few’ (Matt. 9:37) depicts beautiful natural realities of that time to convey many meanings. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus’ affirmation of all food and John’s negation of food are beautifully connected with the understanding of the Earth (Luke. 7:33-34). The nature is in control of the creator (8:22-25). [7]  

We can see several ecological concepts in Pauline epistles. His interpretations were Ecological. While he was interpreting the baptism of the early Israelites, he says it was kind of Ecological baptism.[8] In Christ, creation is liberated. It is seen that Jesus’ resurrection is central to God’s relationship with all humanity and the restoration of the cosmos. All the creation has its relationship to God and its interconnection in the risen Christ. Paul beautifully mentions that “Creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8:21).”[9] Thus the liberation of creation as a whole is the ultimate goal in which God will usher and human beings can be stewards of Creation.

3. Emergence of Eco-theology in Indian Christian contextual theology

The theology that the missionaries brought to India was too metaphysical and exclusively other-worldly oriented based on western systematic, rational and philosophical system. Then Indian Christian theology emerged to re-appraise, re-imagine and re-interpret Christian faith from Indian cultural tradition and history. Even though it was constructed on the basis of Indian traditions, particularly the dominant religious resources, it lacks to touch the life context of the people. The emergence of Latin American Liberation Theology influenced much on the shift of India theological discourse. [10]  Thus Theology became more concern with people and their own context. This led to the formation of contextual theologies like dalit, tribal, feminist, eco-theology, etc.

There was a tendency in theology that ecology or environment would be too secular to deal in theological circle. However as K. C. Abraham opines that ecology is spiritual and ecological crisis is spiritual crisis, because God created heaven and earth as an interdependent organism of unity, any disruption in this unity can be a life danger.[11] In line with him, Laji Chacko also says that we should move towards eco-spirituality whereby our spirituality can discern the exploitation of nature and we should consider caring nature as an act of our worship.[12] They suggest that we cannot simply negate one part while focusing other. Theologians began to reflect theologically and see the possibility of the salvation of all creatures in the economy of God’s salvation. Thus liberation has been understood as holistic in nature which includes the liberation of whole creation, and theological articulation emphasizes more on the unity of human beings and nature.[13] In the context of this ecological scenario, George Nalunnakkal sees the urgent need to find an alternative theology of ecology which can assimilate and synthesize the related concerns of ecology, the poor, women, dalits and tribals.[14] Then eco-theology has been developed in responding to the eco-crisis and shaping theology based on care and stewardship. Different approaches or perspectives have been developed within the eco-theological circle. We will deal with them later.

4. Development of Perspectives in Eco-theology and Earth-Ethics in India

4.1. Sacramental Spirituality: Paulos Mar Gregorios emphasizes the mediatory and participatory role of humanity in relation to God and human in which human have to play a role of priest in the creation. He affirms the deep interconnectedness of human and nature, their interpenetrating, sacramental relationship between Cosmos, God and human gives a vibrant model for an integral relational theology of nature.[15]

4.2. Ethical and Theological Perspective:  K. C Abraham is concerned about the theological and ethical issues, especially the right of non-human nature, involved in the ecological crisis and calls the church and people’s movements for possible responses. According to him, oikos is the root of three important words of relationships-economics, ecology and ecumenics.[16] The three terms are related, and oikos in the ecumene is not only the world of humans, but for all the living and non-living things-Earth.[17]

4.3. Eco-feminist Perspective: Gabriel Dietrich, a great contributor in eco-feminism discovers an affinity between subjugation of nature and subordination of women. Feminist perspective engages in survival struggles which are simultaneously struggles for the protection of nature, women and nature are intimately related and so their dominance and liberation similarly linked.[18] She points out that human beings are called to an ecological task. The dualism rooted in patriarchy is the major cause of injustice which leads to war, militarism and the rape of earth. Just as women are seen as being appropriately dominated by men, so also the earth is seen as an object to be conquered and dominated to fulfill the greed of human.[19]

 

4.4. Prophetic and Interreligious Perspective: Eco-theology according to Felix Wilfred is inherently prophetic. It is praxis of struggle, sustained by faith in God’s creation against the exploitative forces. He further points that the prophetic nature of eco-theology cuts across religious traditions, because it should be a common endeavor to challenge the destruction of the environment and damage to the human community.[20]

4.5. Subaltern Perspective: George Zachariah is concerned with an alternative earth-thics, that is a theology from the grassroots and subaltern people. An alternative subaltern ethic would call for a non-anthropocentric anthropology that affirms the being and becoming of a new humanity in the community of creation.[21]

 

4.6. Indigenous Perspective: Wati Longchar is famous for responding ecological crisis from indigenous perspective. He thinks that the land is the basic of all realities-human selfhood and identity, because there is no clear cut distinction between the sacred and the secular, religion and non-religion, no dualism, it is holistic in thinking. Further he observes that the Self of the Supreme Being is seen in creation, the sacred Power comes out from the soil, that is why we cannot perceive God apart from creation as God is in creation.[22]

5. Some Issues in Eco-theology and Earth-Ethics

5.1. Eco-justice as Hermeneutical Principle: Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) in their Earth Bible project mentions six Eco-justice principles in their hermeneutics. Those are: (a) The principle of intrinsic worth: the universe, Earth and all its components have intrinsic. (b) The principle of interconnectedness: Earth is a community of interconnected living things that are mutually dependent on each other for life and survival. (c) The principle of voice: Earth is a subject capable of raising its voice in celebration and against injustice. (d) The principle of purpose: the universe, Earth and all its components are part of a dynamic cosmic design within which each piece has a place in the overall goal of that design. (e) The principle of custodianship: Earth is a balanced and diverse domain where responsible custodians can function as partners with, rather than rulers over, Earth to sustain its balance and a diverse Earth community. (f) The principle of resistance: Earth and its components not only suffer from human injustices but actively resist them in the struggle for justice.[23] The above principles provided the basis for posing questions of the text from an eco-justice or ecological perspective. 

As Christianity especially the Biblical command to human ‘to have dominion over earth and all creatures in it’ is considered as root cause for environmental crisis, we need to reflect on the question of Biblical hermeneutic from earth perspective, a reading with Earth, where Earth as a subject. K. C Abraham thinks that this kind of methodology is influenced by the liberationist and feminist reading of the Bible. While Liberationist stands with the oppressed poor and feminist stands with oppressed women, we stand with oppressed Earth concerning eco-justice, justice for Earth. Our approach therefore can be eco-justice hermeneutic.[24]

 

5.2. Building an Earth Community: A community, which is not merely human community, is dedicated to build right relationships nurtured by divine love where relationship between humanity and nature is focused.[25] It is God’s will to create such a community that can bring healing and wholeness to God’s creation. Jurgen Moltmann speaks about this community as having God as its head, and having desire and active contribution towards maintaining mutual respect among all creatures.[26] The earth community that is eco-friendly teaches that human beings are dependent on the ground for their existence, and the ground is dependent on human beings for its productivity. And at last the relationship of reciprocal love and respect will be developed between the earth and humanity.[27]

5.3. Returning to the Mother Earth: Despite the cultural and ethnic diversities, the indigenous/tribal communities perceived their cosmology in an organic way. Everything is organically related to each other and linked together. This organic relationship is possible because of, according to Wati Longchar, the Mother Earth, because the Mother Earth is the foundation of cosmo-centric spirituality.[28] He perceives that the earth is the temple of God, it is sacred and it is our mother, he says, “Land is our identity and life. We will not give our land. The land is a God-given gift to us. It is our life and mother. We will not give our cultivable land. With our life and blood, we will protect our homes.”[29] But due to development and other modern forces, the relationship between land/the mother earth and people have been broken. Since the land is the source of life, all realities particularly for indigenous people, it is necessary to return to the Mother Earth. However, today, critics argued the concept of Mother-Earth that Indian women particularly mothers are servers in the house, they are oppressed without having their voices, they are suppose to do the work obediently. In that situation considering the earth as mother would raise a tendency that the earth should serve to humans; even if it is exploited or oppressed, there would be no protest, no response and no rising voice against dominant power. 

5.4. Revaluing the life of People found in their Tales: Creation stories and story related to ecology have been found in people’s tales. Particularly Tribal and indigenous’ tales and myths play significant role in expressing their life situation. There was a time when human beings and other creatures lived together on Earth with having mutual and equal relationship. They talk to each other, they help each other. Human beings did not dominate their world simply. There was a strong relationship between humans and other creatures including non living beings. It is difficult to know from when humans started dominating over creation. We need to revalue the life that we found in our tales and myths where there was peaceful life in the Earth community.

Concluding Remarks

As mentioned earlier, Lynn White blames the anthropocentric Christianity for the ecological crisis. Especially in the Western form, Christianity in contrast to Ancient and Asian religions has not only established a dualism of humans and nature but also insisted that it is God’s will that humans should exploit nature for their proper ends. In that situation, Christian theology with ecological concern would imply the interconnectedness between renewal of society and renewal of the Earth. Marginalized groups really struggles for their liberation, but the liberation demands a liberation of the Earth from the over exploitation. We have to move from the human face of theology to the cosmic face of theology. In that way a nature of liberation theology is coming.

Thus Ecological crisis must be given more serious concern in our Christian theology today in order to bring justice for all the creations. We cannot neglect the importance of making the earth community a creation-centred community, because it is the source of redeeming the earth’s equilibrium. Therefore Eco-theology and Earth-ethics is significant to reorient the faith community the necessity of keeping ecological balances in the earth community.

Bibliography

Abraham, K. C. Eco-Justice: A New Agenda for Church’s Mission. Allahanad: Servisage, 2000.

Abraham, K. C. “Ecology: Some Theological Challenges” A Christian Response to Ecological

Crisis. Edited by Thomas Samuel and Mathew Koshy Punnakadu. Thiruvalla: Christava

Sahitya Samithi, 2009.

Abraham, K. C. Transforming Vision: Theological-Methodological Paradigm Shift. Tiruvalla:

CSS, 2006.

Bhagat, Shantilal P. Creation in Crisis: Responding to God’s Covenant. Illinois: Brethren Press,

1990.

Chacko, Laji. Introduction to Christian Theologies in India. Kolkata: SCEPTRE, 2014.

Dietrich, Gabriel “Women’s Perspective on Ecology,” Religion and Society (Vol. XXXVII, No.

2, June 1990): 55-56.

Habel, Norman C. “The Earth Bible Project” in https://www.sblsite.org/publications/article.

aspx?articleId=291 (accessed 21 March 2017).

Ho, Huang Po. “A Paradigm Shift in Theology: A Holistic Redemption to God’s Creation”

Green Theology. Edited by Wati Longchar. Kolkata: SCEPTRE, 2014.

Jacobson, Diane. “Biblical Bases for Eco-Justice Ethics” Theology for Earth Community: A

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People’s Perspective” Green Theology. Edited by Wati Longchar. Kolkata: SCEPTRE,

2014.

Longchar, Wati “Green Theology: Resources from Primeval Traditions” Green Theology. Edited

by Wati Longchar. Kolkata: SCEPTRE, 2014.

Longchar, A. Wati. Returning to Mother Earth Theology, Christian Witness and Theological

Education An Indigenous Perspective. Kolkata: PTCA/SCEPTRE, 2012.

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Redeemed Earth: Eco-Theological Reflections. Edited by Viji Varghese Eapen and Allan

Samuel Palanna. Chennai: CSI, UTC, CSS, 2014.

Moltmann, Jurgen. God in Creation: An Ecological Doctrine of Creation. London: SCM, 1989.

Nalunnakkal, George Mathew. Green Liberation: Towards an Integral Ecotheology. Delhi:

ISPCK, 1999.

Sahayadoss, Santosh “Reconsidering Theological Discourse on Creation, Redemption and

Aspects of Globalization in order to build an Earth Community that promotes Eco-Justice” Eco-Justice: Implication fir Faith and Theology. Edited by Hubert M. Watson. Mangalore: Indian Theological Alumni of the Universotat Regensburg & BTESSC, 2011.

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Theological Conference, 1997.

Victus,Solomon. Eco- Theology and the Scriptures. New Delhi: Christian World Imprints, 2014.

Zachariah, George “Towards a Subaltern Earth Ethics: Perspective from India” Eco-Justice:

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[1] K. Thanzauva, Theology of Community: Tribal Theology in the Making (Aizawl: Mizo Theological Conference, 1997), 55.

[2] Huang Po Ho, “A Paradigm Shift in Theology: A Holistic Redemption to God’s Creation” Green Theology, edited by Wati Longchar (Kolkata: SCEPTRE, 2014), 176.

[3] Maju K. M. and Vinod Wesly, “Ecotheological Movement in India” Renewed Faith for a Redeemed Earth: Eco-Theological Reflections., edited by Viji Varghese Eapen and Allan Samuel Palanna (Chennai: CSI, UTC, CSS, 2014), 62.

[4] Diane Jacobson, “Biblical Bases for Eco-Justice Ethics” Theology for Earth Community: A Field Guide, edited by Dieter T. Hessel (New York: Orbis Books, 1996), 45.

[5] Solomon Victus, Eco- Theology and the Scriptures (New Delhi: Christian World Imprints, 2014), 53-65.

[6] Solomon Victus, Eco-Theology and the Scriptures, 67-69.

[7] Solomon Victus, Eco-Theology and the Scriptures, 74-75.

[8] Solomon Victus, Eco-Theology and the Scriptures, 76-78.

[9] Shantilal P. Bhagat, Creation in Crisis: Responding to God’s Covenant (Illinois: Brethren Press, 1990), 28.

[10] Maju K. M. and Vinod Wesly, “Ecotheological Movement in India”, 62.

[11] K. C. Abraham, “Ecology: Some Theological Challenges” A Christian Response to Ecological Crisis, edited by Thomas Samuel and Mathew Koshy Punnakadu (Thiruvalla: Christava Sahitya Samithi, 2009), 14.

[12] Laji Chacko, Introduction to Christian Theologies in India (Kolkata: SCEPTRE, 2014), 11.

[13] K. Thanzauva, Theology of Community: Tribal Theology in the Making, 82.

[14] George Mathew Nalunnakkal, Green Liberation: Towards an Integral Ecotheology (Delhi: ISPCK, 1999), xx.

[15] Maju K. M. and Vinod Wesly, “Ecotheological Movement in India”, 63.

[16] K. C. Abraham, Transforming Vision: Theological-Methodological Paradigm Shift (Tiruvalla: CSS, 2006), 187.

[17] K. C. Abraham, Eco-Justice: A New Agenda for Church’s Mission (Allahanad: Servisage, 2000), 36.

[18] Gabriel Dietrich, “Women’s Perspective on Ecology,” Religion and Society, Vol. XXXVII, No. 2, June 1990, 55-56.

[19] Wati Longchar, “Ecumenical Response to Ecological Crisis: A Critique from The Indigenous People’s Perspective” Green Theology, edited by Wati Longchar (Kolkata: SCEPTRE, 2014), 243.

[20] Maju K. M. and Vinod Wesly, “Ecotheological Movement in India”, 66.

[21] George Zachariah, “Towards a Subaltern Earth Ethics: Perspective from India” Eco-Justice: Implication fir Faith and Theology, edited by Hubert M. Watson (Mangalore: Indian Theological Alumni of the Universotat Regensburg & BTESSC, 2011), 150.

[22] Wati Longchar, “Ecumenical Response to Ecological Crisis: A Critique from The Indegenous People’s Perspective” Green Theology, edited by Wati Longchar (Kolkata: SCEPTRE, 2014), 252.

[23] Norman C. Habel, “The Earth Bible Project” in https://www.sbl-site.org/publications/article.aspx?articleId=291 (accessed 21 March 2017).

[24] K. C. Abraham, “Ecology: Some Theological Challenges”, 26.

[25] Santosh Sahayadoss, “Reconsidering Theological Discourse on Creation, Redemption and Aspects of Globalization in order to build an Earth Community that promotes Eco-Justice” Eco-Justice: Implication fir Faith and Theology, edited by Hubert M. Watson (Mangalore: Indian Theological Alumni of the Universotat Regensburg & BTESSC, 2011), 70.

[26] Jurgen Moltmann, God in Creation: An Ecological Doctrine of Creation (London: SCM, 1989), 14.

[27] Santosh Sahayadoss, “Reconsidering Theological Discourse on Creation, 70.

[28] Wati Longchar, “Green Theology: Resources from Primeval Traditions” Green Theology, edited by Wati Longchar (Kolkata: SCEPTRE, 2014), 224.

[29] A. Wati Longchar, Returning to Mother Earth Theology, Christian Witness and Theological Education An Indigenous Perspective (Kolkata: PTCA/SCEPTRE, 2012), 7.