Religion and Ethics in The Global Environment1. Brief Introduction 1. Brief Introduction: Pedersen (below) organizes the treatment of religious resources for environmental ethics into a) the Abrahamic religions, b) South Asian religious traditions, c) East Asian religious traditions, and d) religious traditions of Indigenous Peoples. At the end, the article lists eight points that those traditions, “to a greater or lesser extent,” agree on. Pedersen terms the Abrahamic religions neither anthropocentric nor biocentric, but theocentric. The Earth belongs absolutely to God. In the Jewish tradition, the author focuses on the concepts of “stewardship,” special blessings [bracha], and the cessation of work on the Sabbath. For Christianity, the author discusses the “eco-justice” movement, monasticism, and sacramentality. In the Qur’an, as in the Hebrew Bible, nonhuman creatures have their own relationships with God, unmediated by humans. Islam has also developed a strong eco-justice perspective. For the South Asian religions, Pedersen discusses the continuity of all forms of life, non violence [ahimsa], and the ascetic ideal. Indeed, Jainism takes ahimsa to its strongest point in forbidding the killing of any living thing. For Buddhism, the article points to the Jatakas, more than five hundred stories about the Buddha’s previous lives and to the principle of all things as arising in dependence on causes and conditions. For Confucianism and Daoism, the article stresses the role of qi [energy] in constituting a single universe and the necessity of following “the Way” in one’s life. Shinto offers characteristics in common with other indigenous traditions. 2. Excerpts from Religion and Politics in the International System (Cambridge, 2006): Religion and Politics in the International System Today (pp. 21-28) treats the Global Environmental System in its discussion of the global economic system. The post-World War II Bretton Woods economic system that fostered international trade has had major effects in increasing the transportation system (fuel consumption, world transmission of non-native species); the rate of transmission of disease (SARS, AIDS); destruction of native habitats; and global warming. Population growth remains a major issue. As an independent natural system, the environmental system both follows its own scientific processes and interacts with human activity. In both cases global effects have increased. 3. A Short Introductory Course: Pedersen offers a fine summary of the various religious resources for the environmental movement in a single article. Gottlieb offers a longer, and superbly argued treatment from a more recent perspective, covering both theoretical and socio-political issues. Barnhill and Gottlieb have also edited a fine collection of articles. See below for the religious traditions covered in the volume. Gary Gardner of the Worldwatch Institute offers the combination of a new approach to "Progress" with many examples of religious interventions for the environment. In his November 2007 talk at Santa Clara University Gardner emphasized the possible contributions of religious traditions to lessening consumerism. Worldwatch (worldwatch.com also provides links to many other sites) is known for its emphasis on issues of global economic development and sustainability. It issues a yearly report on "The State of the World." The 2006 edition focused on China and India, 2007 on "Our Urban Future." For the relationship between environmental ethics and social justice, see the United Nations Human Development Report 2007/2008. Pedersen, Kusumita P., “Environmental Ethics in Interreligious Perspective,” in Twiss, Sumner B. and Grelle, Bruce, eds. Explorations in Global Ethics: Comparative Religious Ethics and Interreligious Dialogue (Boulder, Co.: Westview Press, 1996), 253-90. Gottlieb, Roger S. A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and Our Planet's Future (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006). This is as close a definitive treatment of environmentalism and religion as exists. If you don't have time for the entire book, see Chapter One on ecotheology and Chapter Three on "Sustainable Religion" and its practices. Barnhill, David Landis, and Gottlieb, Roger S., eds. Deep Ecology and World Religions: New Essays on Sacred Ground (Albany, N.Y.: SUNY Press, 2001). Essays cover Indigenous Traditions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese Religion, Confucianism, Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism, and Ecofeminism. Gardner, Gary S. Inspiring Progress: Religions' Contributions to Sustainable Development (New York: W.W. Norton, 2006). United Nations Development Programme. Human Development Report 2007/2008, Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. 4. Other Resource Materials: Darlington, Susan M., “Buddhism and development: The ecology monks of Thailand,” in Queen, Christopher, Prebish, Charles, and Keown, Damien, Action Dharma: New Studies in Engaged Buddhism (London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003). This volume reads very well as a continuance of Queen and King (1996). It is divided into four sections: Historical Roots, Asian Narratives, Western Frontiers, and Three Critiques. Farmer, Paul. Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003. This doctor-public anthropologist writes of his experience with the lack of health care in developing countries, especially Haiti, Russia, and Chiapas (Chapter Three). For those interested in Catholicism, he discusses Liberation Theology in Chapter Five. Forward by Amartya Sen. Gottlieb, Roger S., “Saving the World: Religion and Politics in the Environmental Movement,” in Gottlieb, Roger S., Joining Hands: Politics and Religion Together for Social Change (Boulder, Co.: Westview Press, 2002), 151-78. Gottlieb is a professor of philosophy at Boston’s Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a background in the Marxist tradition before focusing on the environmental movement and its relation to religious traditions. Chapter Seven unites the book’s approach to religion and politics (“Joining Hands”) with recent environmental statements and actions within religious traditions. Gottlieb, Roger S., ed., This Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, Environment, 2nd ed. (New York: Routledge, 2002). Fine collection of readings. White, Lynn, “Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis,” Science 155 (1967): 1203-07. This very influential early article, focused on the environmental impact of the Western tradition which the author identifies principally with Christianity, has been both praised and criticized for its contribution to setting the terms of the debate for the next ten years. For a contrasting view which analyzes the disparate strains in the Abrahamic religions, see Pedersen above. Pope John Paul II, The Ecological Crisis: A Common Responsibility, Peace with God the Creator, Peace with all Creation. In "And God Saw That It Was Good", edited by D. Christiansen, SJ and W. Grazer (Washington, DC: USCC, 1990). http://conservation.catholic.org/ National Conference of Catholic Bishops. 1991. Renewing the Earth: An Invitation to Reflection and Action on Environment in Light of Catholic Social Teaching (Washington DC: USCC, 1991). http://conservation.catholic.org/ Pope John Paul II. 2001. “Ecological Conversion,” at http://conservation.catholic.org/ Some other religion and the environment websites: • Biodiversity Project publications • Catholic conservation center • Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life • Evangelical Environmental Network • Forum on Religion and Ecology • National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Eco-Justice Working Group • National Religious Partnership for the Environment www.hds.harvard.edu/cswr/resources/eve/index.html Conference on “Ethics, Values, and the Environment” March 18, 2006, sponsored by the Center for the Study of World Religions at the Harvard Divinity School and the Harvard University Center for the Environment. For student work under Professor Keith Warner, Santa Clara University, click here See Markkula Links for Environmental Ethics (11) 5. Recent News Articles: "Nations Near Agreement on Steps to Revive Climate Treaty," New York Times, December 15, 2007. Report on Bali Climate Conference. After strong speech by Al Gore, U.S. delegation agrees to reenter negotiations to establish within two years a new protocol to the original climate treaty signed by George H.W. Bush in 1992. "What's Your Consumption Factor?" New York Times, January 2, 2008, op-ed by "Guns, Germs and Steel" Jared Diamond on differences in consumption of natural resources between developed and developing countries (U.S. to Kenya, 32 to 1). Impact of economic rise of China and India. Credit: Thanks to Professor Keith Warner, Santa Clara University, for recommending many of the above sources. The comments on them, however, remain the responsibility of the web author. February 14, 2008. |
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