Dave Bookless on the Bible and Biodiversity

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online, this one by Dave Bookless:

Dave Bookless, ‘“Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord”: The Bible and Biodiversity’, Cambridge Papers 23, 3 (September 2014).

Here is the summary:

‘The ethical foundations which underpin the wildlife conservation movement face a crisis: what gives nature its value? Anthropocentric views (which see the world as here to serve human interests) and ecocentric views (which aim to value all species equally) compete but are flawed. In contrast, a biblical perspective emphasises that both human and non-human creatures are made for the glory of God and have value directly in relation to God. This has significant implications for Christian attitudes to biodiversity conservation and for the conservation movement, which are briefly explored.’

Ethics in Brief Volume 17, Nos. 5 and 6 (2012)

The next two issues from Volume 17 of Ethics in Brief, published by The Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics, are now available online:

Will Kynes, ‘God, Justice, and Society: An Overview’, Ethics in Brief 17, 5 (2012)

This non-evaluative overview of God, Justice, and Society: Aspects of Law and Legality in the Bible summarizes Jonathan Burnside’s introduction to biblical law and his demonstration of its value as a resource for modern legal issues.

David Williams, ‘Animals and God’s Plan for the World’, Ethics in Brief 17, 6 (2012)

This article offers a veterinary practitioner’s view of contested issues around proper care of animals. It considers the significance of the Genesis mandate to rule and subdue the earth and addresses further biblical themes in conversation with non-Christian voices both ancient and modern. The author suggests that, in both word and deed, Christianity has more to contribute to the question of animal welfare than is often assumed.

Encounters 38 (September 2011) on the Place of Animals in the Purposes of God

The latest issue of Encounters from Redcliffe College is now available, this one based on Dr Rob Cook’s 2011 Redcliffe Lecture in World Christianity on ‘The Place of Animals in the Purposes of God’.

According to the Encounters email notification, it includes his perspectives on the questions:

• Where do animals feature in God’s cosmic mission?

• Is it God’s will that animals prey on one another and, if not, when and what went wrong?

• For God to be righteous, must there be a place in heaven for innocent, suffering animals?

• What responsibility do we have in being God’s co-workers amongst our fellow creatures?

This issue includes the full lecture transcript (as well as links to audio files) and rejoinders from several other scholars.

The pdf of the full issue is available here.