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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Discussion Question

A study of 3,000 Americans has found that few believe religion influences their environmental views . Sadly, this concurs with the majority of research in this area which suggests that religiosity has very little relationship with pro-environmental behaviours .
Why do you think that developments in eco-theology and concern for the environment based on the Christian faith are not translating into empirical evidence of pro-environmental action related to religiosity?

1 comment:

  1. I could be wrong, but I think at least in part it has to do with the fact that many Christian groups (particularly evangelicals) have aligned themselves with the right side of politics. Even though they might have done that because of issues like homosexual marriages and abortion, it also means that they have taken onboard some of the conservative political views that are more in the interests of business, rather than social or environmental concerns.

    Another possible factor is the idea of the rapture. If the world's ending soon, why bother trying to save the environment?

    Liz

    ReplyDelete

Important Lessons from the Bible

Why Jesus came:
"that the world might be saved through him"
John 3:17

Who Jesus is going to use to save the world:
"For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God."
Romans 8:19

Our role on earth:
"The LORD God put the man in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to look after it."
Genesis 2:15

The Five Pillars of A Christian Theology of Sustainability

1. God is the creator, sustainer and redeemer of creation.

2. Covenantal Stewardship (we have a covenant with God as stewards of the earth).

3. The creation-fall-redemption paradigm (God made a good world; human failure broke the relationships between god, man and creation; Christ provides hope for all creation).

4.Bodily resurrection(we will rise with bodies, not as spirits)

5.New Creation (a new Heaven and new Earth refers to a renewal and an earthing of heaven, not starting over).

Adapted from When Enough is Enough: A Christian Framework for Environmental Sustainability, Edited by R.J. Berry, Published by Inter-Varsity Press, 2007, Nottingham p43+