Biblical Prophets and Contemporary Environmental Ethics

Abstract

In the context of growing concern over climate change and other environmental pressures, this book examines what an ecological reading of the biblical text can contribute to contemporary environmental ethics. The Judaeo–Christian tradition has been held partly to blame for a negative attitude to creation — one that has legitimized the exploitative use of the earth's resources. The author explores some of the thinking in the history of the Christian tradition that has contributed to such a perception, before discussing a number of approaches to reading the Old Testament from an ecological perspective. Through a detailed exegetical study of the texts of the biblical prophets Amos, Hosea, and First Isaiah, it discusses the portrayal of the relationship between YHWH the God of Israel, humanity, and the non-human creation. In the course of this exegesis, searching questions emerge: what are the various understandings of the non-human creation that are present in the text? What assumptions are made about YHWH's relationship to the created world and how he acts within it? And what effect do the actions and choices of human beings have on the created world? Following this close textual study, this study examines the problem of deriving ethical norms from the biblical text and discusses some key ethical debates in contemporary environmental theory. The book explores the potential contribution of the biblical exegesis to such debates and concludes by proposing an inter-relational model for reading the Old Testament prophets in the light of contemporary environmental ethics.