Chapter Eleven: Good Earth
A good introduction.
Animals
- Scripture. There is a consistent reference to animals and that they should be treated well.
- Tradition.
- Contemporary Debate. Growing attention to animal rights.
- Universal. There are camps of both animal rights deniers and endorsers in the universalist camp.
- Subversive.
- Ecclesial.
Crops
- Scripture and Tradition. Strong value for the produce of the earth in Scripture.
- Contemporary debate. Agribusiness. Feeding the hungry. GMO. Switch to vegetarianism.
- Universal.
1. Crops and Justice.
2. Crops and the earth. - Subversive. Focuses on justice and righteousness as opposed to compassion.
- Ecclesial.
Ecology
- Scripture and Tradition. Not much said directly, but a them throughout scripture is that all of creation is made by and for God.
- Contemporary Debate. Mankind is having a huge impact on the environment, much of it negative.
1. Freedom (=Management).
2. Determinism (=Immanentism). - Universal. One of the issues is how to value the environment.
- Subversive. The poor tend to suffer first when the environment changes.
- Ecclesial. The bread and wine of communion symbolize how creation is a part of God.