COMMUNICATING AN APOLOGIA FOR ECO-JUSTICE AMIDST ECOLOGICAL PREDICAMENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION 

1. PRESENT SCENARIO OF ECOLOGICAL PREDICAMENT

2. AN APOLOGIA TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF CHRISTENDOM  

3. AN APOLOGIA TO PEOPLE WITHIN THE CHRISTENDOM 

4. BIBLICAL NOTION FOR ECO-CONCERN 

   4.1 GOD IS CREATOR AND MAN IS KEEPER

   4.2 OLD TESTAMENT ECO-FRIENDLY LAWS

   4.3 NEW TESTAMENT PROMISES

5. THE THEOLOGICAL RATIONALE

  5.1 ESCHATOLOGICAL IMPLICATION OF CREATION CARE

  5.2 SOTERIOLOGICAL IMPLICATION  

6. ANTHROPOCENTRIC OR ECOCENTRIC

7. THE PRESENT CHALLENGE TO THE CHURCH

CONCLUSION 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

Francis A. Schaeffer in his book Pollution and the Death of Man, written in 70s and reprinted again in 2011, as a prophet of his day precisely points out that Christianity is somewhat accountable for environmental problems. He also shows that Bible-practicing churches and members should wake up and see what the Bible really says on the issues. Since John Passmore's famous book, which blames Christianity's view of dominion (Genesis/Eden) for Western Civilization and Puritanism for the demise of American ecosystems, the environmental movement has begun discarding Christianity as a cure. Since 1967 the claim of Lynn White, Jr., that the “Judeo-Christian tradition” was the cause of “our ecologic crisis” has been troubling. White’s paper, “The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis,” which has been reprinted in numerous textbooks and other anthologies, is the main reason college students learn that Christians are the problem.

Furthermore, dispensational theology which sees the world as fading and being annihilated by Jesus after the Millennium, in favour of building a new Earth, quite sturdily implies that we needn't bother with such worldly issues, since the earth will "pass away" no matter how well we tend. So Passmore and others are somewhat correct, that Christianity has fallen flat on its face in regard to environmental issues.

The claim that Christianity communicates care for the environment has been challenged from both outside and inside the church. By those outside the church, the Christian faith has been accused of holding to a theology that encourages abuse of the environment. This is established on both a misinterpretation of Scripture as well as the unfortunate practice of some Christians. So this paper is undertaken to communicate the concern for ecological crisis to people at large and counter the criticisms against Christianity with a Biblical response.

1.      PRESENT SCENARIO OF ECOLOGICAL PREDICAMENT

The "multiple environmental crises that confront our country have created an alarming situation", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in New Delhi, while asking state governments to curtail pollution, clean rivers and fight climate change. "Environmental degradation threatens our economic security and our well-being," Manmohan Singh warned the assembled ministers.[1]  Dr. Arnab Kumar Hazra a specialist on environmental economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, says that each and every issue that has direct or indirect relation to environment is neglected in India.[2] Dr. Roma Mukherjee of the National Environmental Science Academy said that the problem is enormous due to industrialization. We've had tremendous but unplanned growth. Therefore there is pressure on energy, water, food, human settlement and basic infrastructure, like roads.[3]

 Pollution. Deforestation. Wildlife trade. The aspirations of more than one billion people. These are some of the critical issues that India grapples with every day. The Ganges River Pollution is now at such a high level that the amount of toxins, chemicals and other dangerous bacteria found in the river are now almost 3000 times over the limit suggested by the WHO as 'safe'.[4] The India air pollution rate is one of the highest in the world making it one of the most dangerous places to live with roughly 2.2 million people each and every year dying as a direct result of air pollution.[5] But as the country’s population and economy continue to grow, the need to find solutions becomes more urgent every day.[6]  Climate change is starting to have major impacts on ecosystems. With global temperature rising, there is a decrease in snow-fall, and sea levels are rising. Ecosystems will change or evolve to cope with the increase in temperature. Consequently, many species are being driven out of their habitats. Polar bears are being threatened. They need ice for hunting seals, their primary prey. However, the ice caps are melting, making their hunting periods shorter each year. Fresh water and wetland ecosystems are dealing with extreme effects of the increase of temperature. The climate change could be devastating to salmon and trout and to other aquatic life. The increase in temperature will disrupt the current life patterns of the salmon and trout. The cold-water fish will eventually leave their natural geographical range to live in cooler waters by migrating to higher elevations. While many species have been able to adapt to the new conditions by moving their range further towards the poles, other species are not as fortunate. The option to move is not available for polar bears and for some aquatic life. Vast numbers of species are being annihilated. Every year between 17,000 and 100,000 species vanish from the planet. The speed in which species are becoming extinct is much faster than in the past. The last mass extinction was caused by a meteor collision 66 million years ago. It is government which is supposed to protect the environment but increasingly, we find, for various reasons, that the government is unable to do this task. But that is primarily because politics is the main chase. You need an electorate to give votes. It is expensive exercise and therefore you have to increasingly depend on big businesses which exploit environment, Justice Sen said.[7] The largest ice shelf in the Antarctic Peninsula is being thinned by warmer seas and air and could catastrophically break up, scientists said.[8] A one-time 'Rome of the Orient' with its azure skies and its golden, palm fringed beaches; Goa's ecological charms are being systematically deflowered. The magnificent forest canopy which once covered half its area has, in the past 20 years, shrunk to a quarter of its original size.[9]

Meanwhile Indians, who live in south coastal region, have reported that they have seen some impact of oil in the Indian side of the river. Secretary of Sundarbans Matsya jibiJoutha Sangram Committee, a nodal body of fishermen of region, has said that some fishermen have seen large number of fish floating dead in the river. The officials are now trying to find out if the deaths were caused by oil spill or not. Furthermore, reports of less movement of sea animals like dolphins and crocodiles across Sela and neighbouring Pushurriver in Bangladesh have also emerged. The same is feared on the Indian side as well.[10] Nature-based conflicts have increased in frequency and intensity in India. They revolve around competing claims over forests, land, water and fisheries, and have generated a new movement struggling for the rights of victims of ecological degradation. The environmental movement has added a new dimension to Indian democracy and civil society. It also poses an ideological challenge to the dominant notions of the meaning, content and patterns of development.

2.      AN APOLOGIA TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF CHRISTENDOM  

For long Christians have been falsely criticised for being reckless toward eco-concerns. In 1967, Lynn White, an historian from the University of California, published an article in Science magazine entitled ‘The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis’.1 In his article, White maintained that because modern science and technology are products of Western culture, and because Western culture has at its roots Christian attitudes and principles, and because Christianity is arrogant toward nature and views nature as having no reason for existence except to serve mankind, then Christianity bears a huge burden of guilt for our current ecological crisis.[11] Francis Schaeffer was among the first Christian apologists to respond to White’s complaint, labelling Christians anthropocentric. “The Christian is called upon to exhibit this dominion, but exhibit it rightly; treating the thing as having value in itself, exercising dominion without being destructive.”[12] Moreover, as far back as 1554, John Calvin had interpreted dominion to mean a responsible care and keeping that does not neglect, injure, abuse, degrade, dissipate, corrupt, mar, or ruin the earth.[13]

Biblical creation stories communicate the nature of the human relationship with creation. For instance, the name given to the first human was Adam, the masculine form of adamah, the Hebrew word for tillable soil, out of which Adam was created. The message is that human creatures belong to the earth (Genesis 2:5-15). If for all these centuries, we had translated Adam literally with the name Earth or Earth-one, it would have made a difference in how we humans consider about ourselves and our human relationship to Earth.[14] Nature does not belong to us; in fact we belong to nature. The writers of the Bible were indigenous people who knew this because they themselves were reliant on the land. In the creation stories, the command to exercise dominion does not mean domination or mistreatment. Rather, it is the word used of monarchs who are to care for and be accountable to the people in their realm (Genesis 1:1-2:4). So we humans are to serve and to preserve the Earth (Genesis 2:5-15). So we humans are to relate to the rest of creation in such a way that all creatures thrive together.[15] The covenant given to Moses was mainly about God’s relationship with humans, but it also provided for animals to rest on the Sabbath day and for the land to lie fallow in the Sabbath year. Even more creation-encompassing was the covenant God made with Noah and with the birds of the air and the fish of the sea and the land animals to preserve Earth for all to thrive together (Genesis 2:28; Hosea 2:18).

In the biblical view, all creation is sacramental. Earth is filled with God’s glory. God’s creation gives glory to animals, as Psalm 104 tells it, because the grass is created for the cattle, the trees for the birds, the crags for the mountain goats and God gives all their food in due season. Furthermore, all creation is called to worship and praise God just by being what it is and doing what it does: Let the sea roar and all that fills it; Let the earth exalt and everything in it; then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy (I Chronicles 16:29-34). All of creation together human and non-human creatures and the rest of the created order is to praise the name of the Lord (Psalm 148).[16] What a difference it would make to Christian worship practices if worshippers saw Earth as our sanctuary and all creation as partners in adoration. In the Bible the degradation of creation is interrelated with human injustice. When there is injustice against fellow humans, the land withers, the grape vines dry up, and the granaries fail (Joel 1:1-20). In turn, salvation involves the restoration of creation. When Jesus declares that The Kingdom of God has arrived (Mark 1:15), he is announcing the restoration of creation to liberation and wholeness. Jesus ministered to the most vulnerable of the earth, which must now for us include also endangered creation. According to Paul, through Jesus God was pleased to reconcile all things, whether on earth or in heaven by making peace through the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:20). Like the Old Testament, the New Testament does not envisage personal salvation apart from community. Nor does it envisage human salvation apart from all creation. Paul hears all creation groaning in labour pains for the revealing of the children of God, who will manifest peace and justice for all creation (Romans 8:18-25).[17] And the Book of Revelation has this surprizing vision in which the writer hears the entire creation everything in heaven, on Earth, under the Earth, and in the sea praising God and saying, Blessing and honour and glory and might be to our God who sits upon the throne and to the lamb forever and ever (Revelation 5:13). The ultimate vision of the New Jerusalem is that of a transformed heaven and a renewed earth (Revelation 21:1-27). And God comes to reside among people. In that vision, the river of the water of life streams down the middle of the city streets; and it is available free of charge, so that the poor will never go thirsty. And on either side of the river is the tree of life yielding fruit twelve months of the year, so that no one will go hungry.[18] This is one glorious vision of God and humans and the rest of nature creator and all creation living in harmony together.

Thus, when we read it through the lens of creation, we discover that humans and the rest of nature are one. We discover that loving and tending creation is fundamental to what it means to be human. It is our mission as Christians to create a sustainable future in which all Earth-community survives and thrives.[19] The Bible is about God’s love for creation and God’s mandate for humans to be Earth-keepers with God. Scripture teaches us that creation-care is not one more social issue among others. Rather, care for creation is foundational to our vocation as human beings. It is as basic as the great commandment: love God, love your neighbour, and love creation. This demonstrates that a truly biblical Christianity has a real answer to the ecological crisis.

3.      AN APOLOGIA TO PEOPLE WITHIN THE CHRISTENDOM

The first 25 years following White’s paper saw the production of scores of defences to outside critics. Recently, however, challenges to the view that the Bible teaches being a custodian of God’s creation have even come from critics within Christendom.

These challenges include views:

(1) Utilitarian Earth View: The earth and everything in it belong to humanity;

(2) Gnostic World View: The material world is unimportant or evil;

(3) Environmentalism: Christian earth keepers are “environmentalists”;

(4) Since there is no environmental crisis, biblical earth keeping is unnecessary.

1) The utilitarian earth view simply means earth and everything in it belongs to man. It's often said that many Christians; particularly evangelical Christians; don't care for the environment precisely because they are so focused on end times. If God is going to come and destroy all this anyway, why should we invest our energies in preserving it? James Watt was the first proponent of this concept. He was a professing evangelical, who became U.S. Secretary of the Interior under Ronald Reagan in the early 1980s. he wrote many article supporting his view on earth and creation. Some of those are “Ours Is the Earth,” earth is temporary.[20] For him earth is a temporary way station on the road to eternal life.[21] The earth was put here by the Lord for His people to subdue and to use for profitable purposes on their way to the hereafter. Countering Watt, Christian ethicist, Susan Bratton, an evangelical, pointing to the Bible’s proclamation said, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains.”[22] Bratton concluded that Watt’s philosophy of management stems largely from economic and political considerations” and that “his economic and political views also greatly influence his eco-theology.”Sadly Watt’s views and writing encouraged critics because they seemed to validate White’s claim against Christians. Thus we as apologists first have to remind critics within Christendom that the earth and everything in it is the Lord’s and that the earth has other purposes than merely serving human needs. However, unfortunately many Christians today live their life as Watt.[23]

2) Gnostic understanding simply means that the material world is unimportant or evil. This is a dualistic concept that teaches the separation between matter and spirit, while arguing that the material world is evil.[24] Christian apologists counter this belief with New Testament texts that affirm matter in the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus, the resurrection of the body, and the reconciliation of all things to God. God loves the cosmos (John 3:16), pouring out divine love to all creation. God with his immense love and concern created entire world. Mirroring God’s knowledge and love, we work to know and care for God’s world. For an instance, it is inconceivable to honour Rembrandt and yet despise his paintings, so also is it inconceivable to honour the Creator and yet despise His works and workings. To the Creator of matter, matter matters.[25]

While honouring God, we also must know how creation works. We must acknowledge the way our economy functions and preserve, improve, and employ it in our service to God’s economy. If we remained unconcerned about science and economics, not caring about how they work and what they deserve, creation’s economy will suffer. In short the false understanding such as this compels us to reaffirm the significance of the material world to its Creator and encourage believers to take care of it as sacred.

3) Christian earth keepers are environmentalists (Conflation of Earth keeping with Environmentalism). In this a good number of Christians all who care for creation are compartmentalized into the category called “environmentalist.” Thus for these people Christians who exercise earth keeping out of dedication to God may be unjustly identified with pantheism (identification of the world with God), paganism, and violent tactics. For example, many a Christians for being eco-friendly were reproached by other Christians as “having New Age tendencies.”[26] This challenge by inside critics has moved apologists to call for discernment and care when judging fellow Christians’ actions toward creation.

4) Since there is no ecological crisis, earth keeping is not necessary (No Crisis/No Stewardship Philosophy).

Ronald Bailey, author of Eco-scam: The False Prophets of Ecological Apocalypse and Global Warming and Other Eco Myths: How the Environmental Movement Uses False Science to Scare Us to Death, and many other writers opposes the teachings of ecological doom. Bailey proves that there is no population explosion, no ecology crisis, no global warming, no mineral shortage, and no energy shortage. Finally, many people are engaging in debates over whether there is even an environmental crisis.[27] Underlying this debate are the troubling implications that we need to have more or better data before we can take action and that if things are not as bad as we thought (or are getting better or never were bad at all), we do not have to act. Similarly, many Christians, due to such misleading writers, don’t take the ecological problem seriously.

The biblical imperative, however, is for stewardship on behalf of God’s creation no matter what the condition of creation. Christian environmental stewardship is not crisis management but a way of life. God’s call to serve and keep the garden is our calling whether it is our vegetable garden or the whole of creation, and no matter if it is being degraded, staying the same, or improving. We need not have all the data, but we must be dedicated to imaging God’s love for the world in our lives and landscapes. Responding apologetically to inside critics on this matter has shown that responsible stewardship is not an option but a continuing privilege and responsibility.

4.      BIBLICAL NOTION FOR ECO-CONCERN

        4.1 GOD IS CREATOR AND MAN IS KEEPER

"Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend [dress, KJV] and keep it" (verse 15). This greatly modifies the force of "have dominion" and "subdue it" from Genesis 1:26, 28! Keep (Hebrew shamar) means "to exercise great care over." In the context of Genesis 2:15, it expresses God's wish that mankind, in the person of Adam, "take care of," "guard" or "watch over" the garden.

            4.2 OLD TESTAMENT ECO-FRIENDLY LAWS

In Leviticus 25, God outlines a vital provision for the land, particularly cultivated lands: Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, "When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land?" verses 2-5, Exodus 21:33-34, part of the Old Covenant, attempts to protect animals from human-produced hazards: And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it, the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to their owner, but the dead beast shall be his. The same principle is true for plants: "If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that stacked grain, standing grain, or the field is consumed, he who kindled the fires shall surely make restitution" (Exodus 22:6). Obviously, these laws have economic and criminal implications, but the ecological benefits are clear. God gives us laws regarding the growth and producing of fruit trees (Leviticus 19:23-25) designed for the mutual benefit of man and tree. He does not even allow His armies to cut down all the trees around a city when they need to besiege it (Deuteronomy 20:19-20). They must leave the fruit and nut trees intact! His law also proscribes the use of differing varieties of seed in a field, which more often than not "defiles" or weakens the resultant produce (Deuteronomy 22:9).

God provides a law to handle finding a bird's nest with eggs or chicks in it (Deuteronomy 22:6-7)! He makes sure our beasts of burden receive their "wages" for their work (Deuteronomy 25:4). Solomon adds as a general admonition, "A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel" (Proverbs 12:10).

It is very clear that God's Word is very friendly to the non-human inhabitants of planet earth.

            4.3 NEW TESTAMENT PROMISES

The first passage, Acts 3:19-21, never mentions the environment directly, but the implication of the earth being in need of healing, rest and rehabilitation is certainly present: Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. The time is coming when God will restore to the earth its beauty and productivity that man has selfishly stripped from it.

The apostle Paul provides the second "environmentally prophetic passage" in Romans 8:19-22: For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now. According to these angels, part of the reason for Christ's return is to pass judgment on those who have polluted, defiled and marred God's creation! God has great patience, but by that time He will have seen enough of man's blatant disregard for the work of His hands. He will strike with a vengeance that mankind has never before even imagined (Matthew 24:21-22), and the guilty will pay with their lives.[28] Our reward and position in God's Kingdom may rest on our faithful "tending and keeping" of our blessings right now. A little effort today to make our environment better may earn us great reward in the world to come!

5.      THE THEOLOGICAL RATIONALE

In the search of justice for ecology many theological implications have been developed over the time. However, below are the some of foundational scriptures to establish the rational any further.

·         It is God’s world – not ours! (Genesis 1: Psalm 24: Leviticus 25:23)

·         All things were created by Christ, for him and hold together in him (Colossians 1:16, 17)

·         God loves his world (Psalm145)

·         He loves it so much he gave his Son for it (John 3:16).

·         We are stewards of God’s world (Genesis 2:15)

·         We are a conduit for global salvation (Romans 8:22)

·         As a redeemed people we are called to live in a certain way (Titus 2:12)

·         If it is so self-evident why are we having such a struggle to communicate these truths to our churches? We need our seminaries and colleges to revisit this aspect of discipleship and incorporate it into their curricula.

            5.1 ESCHATOLOGICAL IMPLICATION 

Major environmental problem in the setting of Christian ministry is how to overcome the discontinuity between present earth and eschatological earth. Christian accountability for environmental preservation is repeatedly challenged with a question from the believers, looking for the Kingdom of God from the premillennialist perspective: “Why preserve the present earth when it is headed for collapse and a new heaven and new earth will replace it?” The dichotomy of present and future, temporal and eternal, and physical and spiritual world has enfeebled the necessity of any effort to restore the environment.

In 2 Pet. 3:11-13, here Peter uses a tough apocalyptic language. Apocalyptic language in our present context sometimes denotes urgency, a sense of crisis, a need to do something in order to avert the End. [29] The implication is that over-exaggeration regarding the discontinuity would result in a boycott of environmental care while overemphasis on continuity would cause humanistic “green utopianism” that characterizes much of the environmental movement.[30] If the dependence on continuity will inspire Christianity to support its present values and behaviours with its hope for the future, then the dependence on discontinuity will inspire it to depend on the sovereignty of God. As Peter cautions in his epistle, it is vital to know the truth of discontinuity between the present earth and future earth and at the same time to look forward to the things which God will ultimately re-establish and re-form.

            5.2 SOTERIOLOGICAL IMPLICATION 

Ecological responsibility be excused if we are busy enough in the work of saving souls. Is there any continuity between caring for creation and saving souls?

The redeeming story of the Bible suggests that the ministry of God is comprehensive enough to embrace human accountability for creation synchronically. Synchronically, the fact that God’s redemptive plan includes the final restoration of the original creation order guarantees us that there is a necessity to extend our ministerial goals. When it comes to the matter of redemption, at times the Bible only reads from the perspective of personal salvation. In fact, there has been an obvious negligence of any concern for an ecological interpretation of God’s plan for the world.[31] All the emphasis appears to be on human salvation and a fleeing from the flesh, serving only to stress spiritual rather than material dimensions of God’s work. However, when the Bible is explored from an ecological dimension, numerous passages witness to the cosmic dimension of salvation and call for a stewardship commitment to God’s creation.

6.      ANTHROPOCENTRIC OR ECOCENTRIC?

The ecocentrical worldview has certainly been significant in inspiring a broader obligation of the value of nature and of contemporary humanity’s often destructive elation with it. However, it cannot evade a criticism that it has disregarded the distinctive human role and humanity’s dignity. To make things worse, monism and pantheism even erase the border line between God and His creatures. On the other hand, the attempt to define non-human through the human perspective (anthropocentrism) also has encouraged exploitation of nature by devaluating the nonhuman world.[32] In this regard, anthropocentric and eco-centric ideas may not be the fitting standard to define the human relationship with nature.

7.      THE PRESENT CHALLENGE TO THE CHURCH

When the alarms about the environment began to ring two people related it to the Church. Dr Lynn White attacked the Judaeo/Christian tradition for having taken the notion of “dominion” to mean liberty to take from nature whatever and whenever we please.  Francis Schaeffer, on the other hand, expounded the theory that the local church should be the “pilot plant” setting before human society a picture of the way life was meant to be. [33]

           

CONCLUSION

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors but borrow it from our children”

The ecological teaching of the Bible is inescapable. God made the world because God wanted it made. God thinks the world is good and God loves it. It is God’s world; God has never relinquished title to it. So we have seen in this paper that a biblical Christianity has a real answer to the ecological predicament. It offers a balanced and healthy attitude to environment, arising from the truth of its creation by God. It offers the hope here and now of substantial healing in nature of some of the results of the fall, arising from the truth of redemption in Jesus.

We shall continue to have a worsening ecologic crisis until we fully reject the Christian axiom that nature has no reason for existence save to serve man. What we need is a theology that sees the preservation of the Earth and its life forms as man’s overriding duty. [34] We must accept that no creature exists in a vacuum. All living things are part of a complex, delicately balanced network (the biosphere) that is composed of ecosystems. Changes cannot be achieved by papers and books by prominent Christian theologians, or even by Pope’s speeches and dispersed comments in the encyclicals – a binding declaration with full ex cathedra authority is needed.

Let us hear the biblical call from God and make a profound commitment to fulfil our human vocation to be Earth-keepers who serve and preserve the Earth. Let us be motivated by grace in all things to change our spirit as well as our actions. Let us be different so that we can make a difference, for God’s sake.

SOME PREVENTIVE MEASURES:

The church should set up eco care committee in order to check the damage.

The church should create an awareness an eco-friendly by way of organising meeting.

The church should spread the message of preserving and planting more trees and strictly ban felling of trees.

The church should encourage to plant more trees and make it an essential part of our discipleship, taught in the churches.

Seminaries and colleges should also make sure that their graduates arise with an understanding of Christian involvement in creation care and the ability to deliver this message through their ministry.

Worship- How frequently are environmental concerns included in worship including prayers and hymns or songs?

Theology- Does the church tackle creation/environmental issues in its teaching and preaching?

Children- Does the work with younger children recognise the potential for including environmental concerns?

Youth- Are young people challenged about their personal responsibility in the care of the environment, and are the young people encouraged to undertake an environmental project?

Church property- A challenge to consider energy and maintenance issues, such as: energy consumption, use of ‘green’ electricity (electricity from renewable sources), thermostatic and time control of heating, appropriate levels of insulation, and low-energy light bulbs etc.

Church land- Where appropriate seek to make grounds wild-life friendly.

Personal lifestyle- Promote awareness of steps that can be taken in the home, for example energy efficiency and re-cycling of waste products

Community involvement- Involvement in local environmental groups and 

projects, and also being pro-active in addressing local environmental issues.

[1][n.a.] “India's environmental situation alarming: PM Hindustan Times” http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/india-s-environmental-situation-alarming-pm/article1-444460.aspx (accessed on 12/06/15)

[2][n.a.] “India Air Pollution: Changing The Way You Breath” http://www.all-about-india.com/India-Air-pollution.html (accessed on 14/06/15)

[3] Mess M. P. Mohanty, “India's Ecological” http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=4375 (accessed on 14/06/15)

[4] [n.a.] “Ganges River Pollution All About India” http://www.all-about-india.com/Ganges-River Pollution.html (accessed on 12/06/15)

[5] [n.a.] “India Air Pollution: Changing The Way You Breath” http://www.all-about-india.com/India-Air-pollution.html (accessed on 14/06/15)

[6] [n.a.] “Environmental problems in India WWF Global” http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/india/india_environmental_problems/ (accessed on 14/06/15)

[7] [n.a.]  “Govt's Duty Is To Protect Environment, But Unable To Do So: SC” http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/govt-s-duty-is-to-protect-environment-but-unable-to-do-so-sc-115051201618_1.html (accessed on 14/06/15)

[8] [n.a.] “Breakup fears for massive Antarctic ice shelf: study Antarctica Ice sheets are vast floating beds of ice attached to the Antarctic coast” http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/the-good-earth/Breakup-fears-for-massive-Antarctic-ice-shelf-study/articleshow/47258748.cms (accessed on 14/06/15)

[9] Rajesh Bhagat “Goa In Danger Of Turning Into An Ecological Nightmare” http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/goa-in-danger-of-turning-into-an-ecological-nightmare/1/392040.html (accessed on 14/06/15)

[10] Sandeep Kour “India on high alert after massive oil spill threatens Sunderbans ecology” http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/india-high-alert-after-massive-oil-spill-threatens-sunderbans-ecology (accessed on 14/06/15)

[11] Walter Brueggemann, Using God's Resources Wisely: Isaiah and Urban Possibility (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993), 58.

[12] Paul Collins, God’s Earth: Religion as if it really mattered (Melbourne: HarperCollins, 1995), 27.

[13]Edwards, Denis (ed.). Earth Revealing Earth Healing: Ecology and Christian Theology (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2001), 124.

[14] Anne Marie Dalton, Henry C. Simmons, Ecotheology and the Practice of Hope (New York: State University, 2010), 62.

[15] Robert Cuttino, For Goodness’ Sake: Principles of an Ecotheology (USA: Library of Congress, 2014), 182.

[16] Jehuda Feliks, Nature and Man in the Bible: Chapters in Biblical Ecology (London: Soncino Press, 1981), 67.

[17] Henry M. Morris, ”The Bible, Creation, and Ecology” http://www.icr.org/article/bible-creation-ecology (accessed on 11/07/15)

[18]Daniel L. Brunner, Jennifer L. Butler, A. J. Swoboda, Introducing Evangelical Ecotheology: Foundations in Scripture (Grand Rapids: Baker Publisher, 2014), 2.

[19]Norman C. Habel and Vicky Balabansk (eds.) The Earth Story in the New Testament

(USA: Sheffield Academic Press, 2002), 12.

[20] Kyle S Van Houtan, Michael S Northcott, Diversity and Dominion: Dialogues in Ecology, Ethics, and Theology (USA: Casecad books, 2010), 161.

[21] James Watt, “Back in the Saddle Attacking Environmental Causes : Politics: Former Interior secretary believes that special-interest groups pose greatest threat to the West's ecology” May 05, 1991|JULIA PRODIS http://articles.latimes.com/1991-05-05/local/me-1873_1_james-watt (accessed on 21/06/15 )

[22] Brian Allen Drake, Loving Nature, Fearing the State: Environmentalism and Anti-government (USA: University of Washington Press, 2013), 105.

[23] David Neff, “Second Coming Ecology; We care for the environment precisely because God will create a new earth” http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/july/23.35.html(accessed on 11/07/15)

[24] Karen L. King, What is Gnosticism? (USA: Library of Congress, 1992), 125.

[25] Austin L. Hughes, “Creation, Science and the New Gnosticism” http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=06-04-020-f#ixzz3azET8Fjx (accessed on 11/07/15)

[26] [n.a.]“What's the relationship between ecology and New Age spirituality?” http://www.quora.com/Whats-the-relationship-between-ecology-and-New-Age-spirituality (accessed on 11/07/15)

[27]Ronald Bailey, Bargain Price, Global Warming and Other Eco Myths: How the Environmental Movement Uses False Science to Scare Us to Death Hardcover (USA: Crown Publishing Group, 2002), 3-5.

[28]Richard T. Ritenbaugh, “The Bible and the Environment” Forerunner, http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/PW/k/191/The-Bible-and-Environment.htm (accessed on 12/07/15 )

[29] Young Seok Cha, “Theological And Ethical Implications Of Creation Care”

http://www.andrews.edu/services/jacl/article_archive/6_2_fall_2012/04-featurearticles/jacl_6-2_cha.pdf (accessed on  16/07/15)

[30] Francis Schaeffer, Pollution and the Death of Man, Volume 5 of “The Complete Works Francis Schaeffer, (USA: Crossway Publisher, 2001) 47.

[31] Young Seok Cha, “Theological And Ethical Implications of creation care”

http://www.andrews.edu/services/jacl/article_archive/6_2_fall_2012/04-featurearticles/jacl_6-2_cha.pdf (accessed on  16/07/15)

[32] David Rhoads, “Reading the Bible with Care for Creation”

http://www.webofcreation.org/archive-of-resources/590-reading-the-bible-with-care-for-creation (accessed on  16/07/15)

[33]Edward Goldsmith, “The Cosmic Covenant” February 2, 1998 http://www.edwardgoldsmith.org/726/

(accessed 20/03/15)

[34] Stephanie Bennett, The City’s Curse, The Church’s Plight: Technology, Communication, and the Sacred An Ellulian Perspective  Volume 9 (Ecology Association 2008) http://media-ecology.org/publications/MEA_proceedings/v9/Bennett09.pdf (accessed on 02/01/16)

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