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Religious Approaches to Environmental Ethics. Learning Objectives To be able to:- Examine the different theories surrounding the environment. Religious Approaches to Environmental Ethics - Christianity. The foundation of the Christian approach is for many Christians the Bible
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Religious Approaches to Environmental Ethics Learning Objectives To be able to:- Examine the different theories surrounding the environment
Religious Approaches to Environmental Ethics - Christianity • The foundation of the Christian approach is for many Christians the Bible • What does the Bible say? • Issue sheet: A Christian View of the Environment • Using Bible record key text/message from Biblical selections
What are the Biblical messages? • Theocentric: God is the creator of the world and the reason for moral behaviour The world belongs to God • Anthropocentric – we as humans have “dominion” over the natural world ie in charge. The world exists for the benefit of humans • Geo/Biocentric – creation is God-made and god and must be preserved (stewardship)
So there are a range of approaches • God values the creation; it has intrinsic value • This is in contrast to God having a special concern for humans- “made in God’s image”. Humans have dominion over all creatures • Another view is that humans have a responsibility to care for and conserve the creation as stewards; humans are caretakers of God’s property –the world!
Christian Attitudes to the Environment • Issue sheet • Using pages 258-259 explain the difference between dominion and stewardship • Match the five descriptions to the three terms
So what went wrong? • For some Christians the FALL (Genesis 3) is seen as the reason why we became poor stewards - Discuss • Many Christians now try to rectify this and improve conditions and protect the environment • Others believe that we have dominion and born again Christians believe in the end of the world • Read p227 OCR Religious Ethics
So what do you think so far? • Respond to one of the questions in thought points p228
Is there an environmental crisis? • What do you think? Yes? No? Maybe?