1. from "eco-ology"

a. "eco" from Greek work "oikos"--house

b. the study of how we are to live in relation to our environment

2. there is a crisis, but the moral issue exists even there were not

3. the crisis--we are affecting the environment in such a way that now we are violating its integrity, its ability to maintain an eco-systemic balance

a. as the population and per capita consumption increase, we’ll continually outstrip the environment’s capacity to adjust and provide energy

4. responses to the crisis:

a. Doomsday--nothing can stop the collapse of nature and consequently us

b. "we can fix it"--this is the technocratic position; in the future they will be smart enough to solve the crisis

c. "it will fix us"--the naturalist position; "mother nature" to too powerful not to respond and consequently we’ll probably be eliminated

1. ecologist--adjust the way we live to the moral and spiritual purposes of humanity and nature

2. Theological Dimensions:

1. creation presupposes a Creator: a) it is not divine, b) not meaningless
2. creation is good: a) it is not absurd, b) not alien
3. relationship between eternity and time: a) not exclusive, b) not identical
4. continuing creation towards a New Heaven and New Earth: a) not hopeless, b) not complete

1. the issue--in what way and on what grounds can we value wilderness

2. traditionally, we’ve value it for it value to us; an instrumental value

3. the four ways we have instrumentally valued wilderness:

a. Cathedral view--for spiritual renew

b. laboratory--of scientific inquiry

c. silo--for genetic diversity to possibly help us

g. gymnasium--recreation

4. if wilderness had intrinsic value, then it is not a commodity but a community partner to which we belong;

a. a holistic/systemic view of nature and humanity interdependent

b. opposite of Cartesian dualism

1. the issue--how much should we be committed to the needs of our posterity?

2. optimistic view--held mostly by economist and physicists; their scientific knowledge will provide for them

3. pessimistic view--held mostly by biologist; the future will suffer

4. morally wrong to make our posterity suffer for our waste and mistakes

5. therefore, must conserve our resources now

6. the limits to conservation:

a. not to surrender our loves and freedoms, high culture; they’ll need them

b. to surrender wasteful forms of entertainment and vanity which reduce resources

1. the issue--as long as there is unlimited freedom to procreate, the is no solution the environmental problems associated with over-population

2. we need to see the earth like a "Commons"

3. limitations associated with living in a "commons":

a. unbridled freedom brings ruin to all

b. must curtail the freedom to exploit the resources, to pollute, to overpopulate

4. must limit procreation to preserve other freedoms; zero population growth is needed

1. the issue--ecological crisis is due to a certain view of power as domination

a. society’s view of power comes from a theological viewpoint

2. a monarchical view of God fosters a view of power as dominance

b. Cartesian dualism sees nature as a purposeless thing and humanity gives it purpose

3. a Trinitarian view of God sees the divine nature as loving relationships which encourages a view of power a strength to forms and fulfill relationships

4. nature is a creation, not a thing

5. best biblical/theological concept to view creation--Sabbath

a. the Sabbath, not humanity, is the crown of creation

b. Creation Account (Genesis 1), Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), Sabbatical Year (Leviticus 25), Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25 and Isaiah 61), Sabbath Rest (Hebrews 4)

6. goal of creation (of which humanity is part)--to receive God’s presence, not toil

a. we work to receive the Sabbath rest, not vice versa

b. the sanctification of the Sabbath--free from strife, anxiety

c. competition and work are means to the Sabbath rest