The Bible and Ecology: Rediscovering the Community of Creation

"Modern ecological science is constantly revealing more and more of the complex balance and flux of interrelationships within the biosphere of the earth and its component ecosystems, but a great deal remains to be known, probably much more than we al... Read more

"Modern ecological science is constantly revealing more and more of the complex balance and flux of interrelationships within the biosphere of the earth and its component ecosystems, but a great deal remains to be known, probably much more than we already know. Biblical writers were not able to plot such interconnections scientifically, but they articulate a vision of creation that is coherent with the science, while focusing, as science properly cannot, on matters of value, ethics, responsibility, and, especially, creation''s relationship with God."

?adapted from the Introduction

With his characteristic rigor and perceptiveness, Richard Bauckham embarks on a biblical investigation into the relationship between human beings and the rest of creation. Bauckham argues that there is much more to the Bible''s understanding of this relationship than the mandate of human dominion given in Genesis 1?which, he writes, has too often been used as a justification for domination and exploitation of the earth''s resources. Instead, Bauckham considers the ecological perspectives found in the book of Job, the Psalms, and the Gospels, all of which, he determines, require a re-evaluation of the biblical tradition of "dominion." Bauckham discovers a tradition of a "community of creation" in which human beings are fellow members with God''s other creatures and true reconciliation to God involves the entire creation. Short, reliable, and engaging, The Bible and Ecology is essential reading for anyone looking for a biblically grounded approach to ecology. Less