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Christianity and Climate Change: Understanding the Range of Responses

Christianity and Climate Change: Understanding the Range of Responses. Janel Curry Calvin College. Christian Worldviews and the Environmental. Background to the Debate.

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Christianity and Climate Change: Understanding the Range of Responses

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  1. Christianity and Climate Change: Understanding the Range of Responses Janel Curry Calvin College

  2. Christian Worldviews and the Environmental Background to the Debate

  3. “…but the land for us is not as important…We are just so far away from the concept (living where our grandparents have lived), and I think it has just lost its importance. And it’s right for it to be that way.” --Seminarian

  4. “Even though we have ownership of land…in the end it’s God’s, …it bothers me sometimes to have all these lines of things put into the earth. You have water lines, you have electricity lines…I don’t like them all up above you either, but in Des Moines…it’s just paved over with concrete. And it’ll never again see the light of day. I groan, I feel the earth groan; I groan with it, for being covered so…and you know that it’ll never be free again.” --Farmer

  5. How Are We to Understand This Range in Attitudes?

  6. The Challenge “Who are you people, and what in heaven’s name are you talking about?” Hummer Email

  7. Christian Worldviews and the Environmental Goals • Increase understanding of the complexity • Lay a groundwork for civil dialogue

  8. Factors Affecting Attitudes and Approaches to Environmental Problems • Eschatology • Integration • Responsibility

  9. Factors Affecting Attitudes and Approaches to Environmental Problems I. Eschatology

  10. Conservative Christianity:Creation, Fall, Redemption, Consummation • Authority of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures • God’s creation of the universe • Humans and nature fell from perfection with the sin of Adam and Eve • Restoration or redemption of humankind occurred through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ • God’ plan and promises will be fulfilled with the return of Christ

  11. Calvinism “...we've begun our eternal life...the opening chapter...The whole thing of stewardship, is certainly part of now and, or a part of eternity. The comparison between the seed and the full grown tree and our body and our resurrection body --there's a connection, but still, you wouldn't believe that a huge oak tree could come from a little tiny acorn. And I don't think you can even begin to fathom what the life hereafter will be, if you think of our cells, now, as the seed.” --Calvinist Farmer

  12. Quaker Beliefs • Humans are basically good • Some level of perfection of society is possible • Grace is universal • Here and now is the place of God’s redemptive activity • Humankind is responsible to establish God’s kingdom on earth

  13. Quaker Results • Intense desire to improve society • Optimistic worldview and belief in the forward march of progress • Activism in the public arena • Emphasis on education

  14. Dispensational Beliefs • No continuity between the present earth and the future earth after the return of Christ • Increasing violence and natural disasters are signs to mark the coming of Christ • The earth is a backdrop for the actions of God in saving humans

  15. Dispensationalism [Reported, but unsubstantiated statements] “My responsibility is to follow the Scriptures which call upon us to occupy the land until Jesus returns.” “We don't have to protect the environment, the Second Coming is at hand.” --James Watt, Secretary of the Interior under Reagan

  16. Dispensational Seminarians: “The other thing is that this world is not the end. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t try to get too comfortable on this land, and I am not trying to sound like we can disregard our stewardship, but ultimately it is going to be God who is going to redeem, and we shouldn’t look to make this world our end or eternal home.” “(Our) relationship to God is what makes the land important. It’s not the land that is important in and of itself.”

  17. Seminary Student Diagram

  18. American Theocracy and Dispensationalism • Christian Dispensationism/Fundamentalism is home-grown • This traditions includes a strong anti-communist/socialist ideology • This tradition both shapes and reflects the larger American individualistic ideology

  19. Dominant Social Paradigm* The package includes: 1) utilitarian views of nature 2) support for individual property rights 3) anti-government sentiments 4) belief in the free market *Defined by Dunlap and Van Liere as the dominant “American” worldview

  20. Composite: Views of Nature Reformed Christian Reformed Baptist Presbyterian

  21. Is this Religion or American Culture?

  22. Both Supporters of the Cornwall Declaration

  23. Worldview: Interfaith Stewardship Alliance (ISA) and Acton Institute • The world is soaring in health and wealth toward perfection • God’s design of creation minimizes or quickly repair environmental damage • Christians will rise to power and compassionately use free-market capitalism to create an earth fit for Christ

  24. Critique of ISA and Acton by Creation-Care Community (Sider-Ohlman) • Eschatology is a free-market eschatology • Assumption is that the free-market system will solve all economic and social ills • Undying faith is in amoral capitalism and the unfettered market. • If the world is indeed on the threshold of this biblical “millennium,” the suffering we see must be an illusion

  25. Worldview: Creation-Care Community • Mainstream evangelicals believes that “we and our worldview will likely become even more out of sync with the predominant materialistic worldview.” • Mainstream evangelicals believe that a theocracy will come, but it will be at Christ’s making, not ours. • Being wise and compassionate stewards of God’s creation involves living the Gospel before the watching world and preparing us for our future roles in the coming Kingdom.

  26. Eschatology Implications

  27. Factors Affecting Attitudes and Approaches to Environmental Problems II. Human/Nature/God Integration

  28. The Houma Tribe of Southern Louisiana

  29. Impacts of Oil Industry on Environment and Mythology

  30. Northwest Iowa Farmer

  31. God is Sustaining People and Nature People and Nature are Part of God’s Plan for Shalom Reformed Seminary Student Diagram

  32. Baptist Seminary Student Diagrams

  33. The National Catholic Rural Life Conference The National Catholic Rural Life Conference is a membership organization grounded in a spiritual tradition that brings together the Church, care of community and care of creation. Established in 1923

  34. NCRLC Principles Related to Economic, Social and Environmental Policies that affect Rural Communities Human Dignity The Common Good Preferential Option for the Poor Universal Destination of Goods Integrity of Creation Subsidiarity Solidarity

  35. Human/Nature/God IntegrationImplications

  36. Factors Affecting Attitudes and Approaches to Environmental Problems • Responsibility: • Routes to Social Change

  37. The Individual and Society: The Route to Social Change Reformed Christian Reformed Baptist Presbyterian

  38. Structural Sin vs. Individual Morality Reformed Christian Reformed Baptist Presbyterian

  39. Draw on Christians Traditions that:Are grounded in a covenantal theologyRecognize “structural” sin

  40. Recovering what it means for humans to be made in the “Image of God”

  41. Church History and Structure

  42. Evangelical Environmental Network Evangelical Climate Initiative Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action

  43. Church History and Structure

  44. Factors Affecting Attitudes and Approaches to Environmental Problems • Eschatology • Integration • Responsibility

  45. Goals • To convince you that: “Every complex problem has a simple solution, and it is wrong.” • Suggest directions to encourage civil dialogue and coalition-building amongst groups across the political and religious spectrum in order to address climate change

  46. Suggestions To be effective in engaging the Christian community on the issue of Climate Change • Understand the range of basic assumptions that the different groups bring to the discussions • Discern the difference between religious beliefs and dominant cultural beliefs • Listen • Find arguments that resonate with the various traditions • Build a diversity of on-the-ground strategies to match the range of church structures and cultures

  47. The Challenge of Global Climate Change We Need All Parties at the Table

  48. Thank you

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