THE NON-HUMAN CREATION
Essay Assignment for BTh/CTh
How should Christians relate to the non-human creation ?
Introductory Articles in Dictionaries:
- IVP Dictionary:
- "Environment", pp 348-51;
- "Rights, Animal", pp 745-7
- SCM Dictionary
- "Animals", pp 28-33;
- "Environmental Ethics", pp 196-8
A basic introduction to some issues but with minimal theological input appears in my Pocket Guide to Ethical Issues, chpt 8 (pp 125-39) on animals and chpt 9 (pp 140-54) on the environment.
Biblical:
- Christopher Wright, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God, especially chpts 3, 4 and
6.
See his earlier chapter, "The theology and ethics of the land" in Walking in the Ways of the Lord, pp 181-96. - John Barton, Ethics & The Old Testament, pp 38-44.
- Stassen & Gushee, Kingdom Ethics, chpt 21, pp 427-46.
Historical:
Robin Gill, A Textbook of Christian Ethics has his usual selection on Augustine, Aquinas and Luther [pp 367-401]. You should work with at least one of these, preferably all of them.
Contemporary:
- An Evangelical Declaration on the Care of Creation which is discussed by various contributors in R.J. Berry (ed), The Care of Creation.
- Stephen Clark, "Christian Responsibility for the Environment" in Gill, A Textbook of Christian Ethics, pp 436-44.
- Lynn White, "The Theological Roots of the Ecological Crisis" in Gill, A Textbook of Christian Ethics, pp 408-17.
- Michael S. Northcott, "Ecology and Christian Ethics" in Gill, Cambridge Companion to Christian Ethics, pp 209-25.
- Karl Barth, "Acting Responsibly with Respect to Animals and Plants" in Boulton, From Christ to the World, pp 499-501.
- Wendell Berry, "God and Country" also in Boulton, pp 524-8.
- Lawrence Osborn, Stewards of Creation: Environmentalism in the Light of Biblical Teaching [Latimer Study]
- On animals the main writer is Andrew Linzey [author of SCM article] and you may wish to look at some of his books eg Animal Theology, Animals on the Agenda, Christianity & Rights of Animals.
- Michael Banner, "Why and how (not) to value the environment" in his Christian Ethics and Contemporary Moral Problems, Chpt 5 [pp 163-203]. You may also want to look at the very specific worked example which follows in Chpt 6.
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