Religion, Science, and Environment

Abstract

Much theological discussion of ecology has focussed on responding to criticism such as that of Lynn White, but there are aspects of Christian tradition that need more attention: the loss of a sense of symbiotic relationship between humanity and nature, and the belief that human beings can effectively and harmlessly manipulate nature to their own ends. The viewpoint of White and many other ecological thinkers that our behaviour derives from our world-views and religiosity has set substantial portions of the environmental movement in search of a new world-view and a new religiosity. If, however, our world-views and religiosity derive, even in part, from our social structures and therefore ultimately from our behaviour, then we must also focus on changing these. The question of science then is not only whether it is sufficiently holistic but also whether it can contribute to determining appropriate behaviours and social structures. Dialogue between science and religion has already come a long way in terms of developing new world-views. It is necessary now that they work together to guide and motivate the real decisionmaking processes in politics, economics, and so forth.