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Bonhoeffer's Arguments Of Free Market Environmentalism And Christian Theology

1849 Words8 Pages

There are many pressing issues in today’s society that require the attention of churches within the community of theology. One of the most crucial topics include an ecological perspective. Human beings currently face a detrimental problem of degradation within the environment. Most of these issues are caused by irresponsibility and ignorance of the human race. Controversies have formed around the Biblical text, and so theologians are striving to invent a direction for modern Christianity to take. I will discuss the compelling arguments of free market environmentalism and Christian ecological ethics. Then, I will briefly go over Bonhoeffer’s anthropology where he offers an approach that urges individuals to take responsibility for the natural …show more content…

Bonhoeffer, on the other hand, offers an interesting approach to ecological theology, suggesting that humans are made in the image of God so therefore, we are bound to be servants of nature (Burkholder, 2013). He encourages an interpretation where humans be viewed as completely interconnected with the natural world (Burkholder, 2013). One of his main points was to formulate a theology where carefree attitude towards the environment is diminished. Bonhoeffer claims that instead of viewing people as the one in charge of the planet, we should view ourselves as being in charge of uniting the work of God in a glorified way (Burkholder, 2013). He “believes the image of God is not an analogia entis (analogy of being) but an analogia relationis (analogy of relationship)” (Burkholder, 2013). In this way of interacting with the environment, individuals have a freedom to serve others and the natural world. It is very common for individuals to blame scripture for the environmental degradation that is present. Bonhoeffer suggests that human beings take full responsibility for the faults and damage that occurred within the natural world. Using Bonhoeffer’s perspective, the church can implement a fresh and positive stance for ecological theology where human kind is seen as servants to the …show more content…

The comparative differences of free market environmentalism and Christian ecological ethics serve as examples of the different directions ecological issues can take. Free market environmentalism pursues a society where private property act as incentive to preserve the future of the environment. On the other hand, Christian ecological ethics is based on sin and the need for humans to repay their debts to the planet. From the anthropological concerns of Bonhoeffer, we are encouraged to take on servanthood attitudes in order to help society stray from environmental degradation. Bonhoeffer’s perspective offers a more sustainable and healthy future for the generations to come. The process of biblical interpretation plays a very big role in determining the critical view of ecological theology. Horrell emphasizes a confrontation of the uncertainty within biblical hermeneutics when it comes to ecological issues. Horrell strongly disagrees with the straightforward and selfish viewpoints of White. White’s perspective is definitely anthropocentric, which has received much criticism throughout the years. Lastly, the unique lens provided by Chinese Christian, Pan-Chiu, who offers the incorporation of many traditional Chinese beliefs with contemporary Christology. The current ecological situation of China is slowly but surely reaching the threshold for a

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