Groaning with Creation: Ecoanxiety, Biblical Ecopedagogy, and the Future

Science and technology are not enough in addressing the climate emergency. In his critique of Western Christianity, Lynn White challenged to rethink our religion. Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ underlined the importance of ecological education in ecological conversion. I propose that a change in the wa...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ibita, Maricel S. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2025
In: Horizons
Year: 2025, Volume: 52, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-25
IxTheo Classification:HC New Testament
NBD Doctrine of Creation
NCG Environmental ethics; Creation ethics
RF Christian education; catechetics
ZD Psychology
Further subjects:B Earth Charter
B ecological education
B ecoanxiety
B ecological sin
B UNSDG
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:Science and technology are not enough in addressing the climate emergency. In his critique of Western Christianity, Lynn White challenged to rethink our religion. Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ underlined the importance of ecological education in ecological conversion. I propose that a change in the way we read, interpret, and teach biblical, religious, and other authoritative texts will help us in meaning-making amid the planetary crisis. In this contribution, I will first examine the interrelation of climate change, psychospiritual health, and meaning-making through the Scriptures. Second, I will succinctly present some simple methodological advances in ecological biblical hermeneutics that can facilitate generating new ideas on the interrelationships between and among the divine, the humans, and the nonhuman/beyond-human creation in biblical and other texts. Finally, I will apply these methodologies on Romans 8:18-30 as a test case for alternative ecological insights and their practical implications as we navigate this post-COVID-19 world.
ISSN:2050-8557
Contains:Enthalten in: Horizons
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1017/hor.2025.2