Inter-faith Forum on Inter-faith Forum on Environmental Ethics Environmental Ethics

Those Those Transcendent, Transcendent,

Anthropocentric Anthropocentric Europeans! Europeans!

A theological A theological exploration of how exploration of how

we have affected we have affected the Murray-Darling the Murray-Darling

Basin’s waterways. Basin’s waterways. Rev Dr David Reichardt, Uniting ChurchRev Dr David Reichardt, Uniting Church

Earthrise, Bill Anders, 1968

Honeyeater feasts in

Waratah bush. Mt Tomah Gardens,

Blue Mountains,8 October,

2011

The only Home we have!

Photo: Dietmar Stiplovsek

Gulf of Mexico, July 11, 2005

Photo: Reuters

© 2004 Amanda Byrd Photography

The Maldives

• Cabinet meeting that highlighted rising sea levels, October 17, 2009

© 2009 AP Photo/Mohammed Seeneen© 2009 AP Photo/Mohammed Seeneen

HeavenismHeavenism• “The earth is at best a temporary

lodging; the true human home is beyond the earth, in heaven.” - Val Plumwood

• If you believe in Jesus you go to heaven when you die.

• “The environment! What does that have to do with Christian faith?”

• “But doesn’t this earth have a ‘use by’ date?”

• “The earth is at best a temporary lodging; the true human home is beyond the earth, in heaven.” - Val Plumwood

• If you believe in Jesus you go to heaven when you die.

• “The environment! What does that have to do with Christian faith?”

• “But doesn’t this earth have a ‘use by’ date?”

In reaction to Heavenism…

•Pie in the sky when you die bye and bye

•Too full of heaven to be any earthly use!

•The Christian ”skygod”

The Historic Roots of our Ecologic Crisis

Lynn White, Jr. Science 155: 1203-1207

““Christianity bears a great burden Christianity bears a great burden of guilt” for the current ecologic of guilt” for the current ecologic

crisis.”crisis.”

Release the River! An

ecotheological reading of how

the Murray-Darling Basin’s

human inhabitants have

affected its waterways

Release the River! An

ecotheological reading of how

the Murray-Darling Basin’s

human inhabitants have

affected its waterways

Thesis title:Thesis title:

Effects of rising sea level – Kiribati

Thesis’ conclusion:

This ecotheological casestudy supports Lynn White’s

“ecological complaint”against western

Christianity.

.

The “Ecological Complaint”The “Ecological Complaint”appraised in the Murray-Darling Basinappraised in the Murray-Darling Basin

The Darling River(bed)

•The development of Science and Technology in the West comes largely from its Christian worldview;• It bequeaths great power to humans over nature;• westerners tend to hold an “instrumental” view about nature

Because Western religious expression tends to be “Heavenist” rather than of the earth the Bible’s and Christian theology’s high view of humankind is easily distorted into an anthropocentrism (human centredness) harmful to the rest of creation.

Because Western religious expression tends to be “Heavenist” rather than of the earth the Bible’s and Christian theology’s high view of humankind is easily distorted into an anthropocentrism (human centredness) harmful to the rest of creation.

16

RenovaréRenovaré

Our ecological problem is rooted Our ecological problem is rooted in our inadequate view of God.in our inadequate view of God.

We see God as more We see God as more transcendent that immanent.transcendent that immanent.

Christus PantocratorChristus Pantocrator

Clearly, Christianity needs its own Clearly, Christianity needs its own ecotheological corrective. ecotheological corrective.

In contrast, Aboriginal Spiritual gifts of immanence -

Dadirri & Intersubjectivity

In contrast, Aboriginal Spiritual gifts of immanence -

Dadirri & Intersubjectivity

Grose River Valley, Blue Mountains National Park

Grose River Valley, Blue Mountains National Park

St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology

Resources for a Christian Resources for a Christian ecotheological reformationecotheological reformation

• “God’s Kingdom is creation healed.” (Theologian Hans Küng, On Being a Christian, p.231)

• God so loved the…WORLD…that He sent His only Son… (John 3:16, the Bible’s most famous verse)

• God’s will be done ON EARTH ‘as it is in heaven’. (Lord’s Prayer, includes Swedish film title)

22

Releasing the Releasing the River of the River of the

Water Water of Life of Life

- - A way of A way of

reading the reading the BibleBible

Releasing the Releasing the River of the River of the

Water Water of Life of Life

- - A way of A way of

reading the reading the BibleBible

~WaterLines~~WaterLines~ An activity of Sydney

North Presbytery’s

~WaterLines~~WaterLines~ An activity of Sydney

North Presbytery’s

Earth Earth MinistryMinistryEarth Earth MinistryMinistry

Adopt a creek! Adopt a creek!

Bush ca

re

Cleanup

campaigns

Keep exotics

out

Get leaky

sewers

fixedDon’t

litter

Other ecotheological activitiesOther ecotheological activitiesOther ecotheological activitiesOther ecotheological activities

Australian Conservation Australian Conservation Foundation’s The Climate ProjectFoundation’s The Climate Project

Australian Conservation Australian Conservation Foundation’s The Climate ProjectFoundation’s The Climate Project

ww

w.u

nit

ingeart

hw

eb

.org

.au

ww

w.u

nit

ingeart

hw

eb

.org

.au

Dr Miriam PepperDr Miriam Pepper

UnitingUniting EarthwebEarthweb

Caloundra UC’s solar Caloundra UC’s solar panelspanels