As mentioned earlier, Christians are very concerned about the future, specifically about how and when their deity will return to the Earth. These beliefs are commonly known as “eschatology” which comes from the Greek word eschatos, which means “last” or “final”. The Christian narrative encompasses future beliefs of all creation including humans, animals, and the whole planet.
However, there are differing beliefs about what will happen to the earth in the future as these Eschatological beliefs are neither homogenous nor universally agreed upon. Ludwig Feurbach and Roderick Nash have cautioned that these beliefs will have a profound impact on the person’s attitudes towards the environment.
Nature, the world, has no value, no interest for Christians. The Christian thinks only of himself and the salvation of his soul. – Ludwig Feuerbach (1843), Anthropologist
The criticism levelled by Ludwig Feurbach, echoes Roderick Nash’s comments.
Christian aspirations were fixed on heaven, their final resting. The earth was no mother but a kind of half-way house of trial and testing from which one was released at death. Christians expected that the earth would not be around for long. A vengeful God would destroy it and all unredeemed nature, with floods or drought or fire.” -Roderick Nash (1989), Professor of History and Environmental Studies
Artist Impression of last judgement
These comments coincide with the study about “End-Times Theology” by Barker & Bearce (2013). Barker & Bearce conclude that “beliefs among evangelical Christians about the second coming of Jesus are a major factor underlying the resistance to addressing global climate change in the US”. Furthermore, these religious beliefs are commonly associated with “Conservative” political leanings who reject any ideas that climate change can be caused by human activity, and discourage constraints on the usage of fossil fuels.
Some of these “conservative Christians” even argue that current environmental trials and disasters are signs of the coming end of the world, and that Jesus is coming soon. And when Jesus does come, the Earth will be destroyed, and humans will be taken up into a metadivine realm as depicted in the picture below.
Artist Impression of the Rapture: humans leave physical earth to a spiritual non-physical realm
These are example of how religious beliefs can impact both conservation efforts by giving low regard for the environment as the norm.
This eschatology was a poor basis for any environmental ethics. Why take care of what you expected to be obliterated?” – Roderick Nash
However, recent efforts have been made to shift the paradigm of eschatology toward ethics. By reinterpreting the Scripture, it gives opportunity to readjust the eschatological beliefs that will include nature. Doing so will allow the expansion of community to include non-human entities such as animals and plants.
Therefore, we can see how Judeo-Christian world-views can shape Conservation Ethics and even environmental policies. As Conservationists, it is important to shape the Christian Views so that they may be line with Conservation ethics, and even enhance them. This can be done through reinterpretation of the narratives which will be discussed in the next chapter about the mordern paradigm of interpretation.
References:
Thomas Finger, Evangelicals, Eschatology, and the Environment (The Scholars Circle; Wynnewood, PA: Evangelical Environmental Network, 1998), p. 1
Ludwig Feuerbach,1843, The Essence of Christianity (New York: Harper and Row, 1957), 287.
Robinson, D. (n.d.). University of Exeter. Retrieved April 05, 2017, from http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/theology/research/projects/beyondstewardship/future/
Thomas Hill, Jr, “Ideals of Human Excellence and Preserving Natural Environments,” Environmental Ethics 5 (1983): 211-24.
Roderick Nash, The Rights of Nature (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1989), 91-92.