Similarities Between Environmentalism And Christianity

The links between environmentalism and Christianity have a long and complicated history that in the end comes down to a matter of perspective. People can read one document and come up with several different meanings. The Bible has been used over and over to fit the needs of those who’re using it. In its earliest uses its messages were formed to be easier and more appealing in order to convert people, but as time when on and the religion grew more and more people began to associate spirituality and religion back into nature and the environment. With Saint Francis came a message of love and compassion towards all that he extended to include not only the poor and meek, but every living thing. In american history the Protestant view that was seen

earlier in the Catholic church when converting the Pagans came back into popular view. The idea that the earth was for people to “plunder at will” as Pope Francis has said, became the ideal platform for conquering the new land and its inhabitants. As time progressed the transcendentalists came along with their philosophical movement that challenged the Church. Their Eastern ideas that favored protecting the land opposed the popular view of using the land for personal gain. Although the transcendentalist movement didn’t catch on, it did plant seeds for future generations of nature lovers with the many publications of its writers (like Thoreau and Emerson). These ideas went on to inspire people and create concern for the environment. As american history progressed it gave way to one of the early Christian environmentalists who not only used his Christian faith to protect the world he lived in but created a lasting legacy in the fight for the environment with his organization the Sierra Club, John Muir. By finding peace in nature he felt closer to his God and wanted that feeling to be preserved for generations long after he was gone. His legacy continues to inspire Christians and people from all religions to fight for their world. The concern over Christian theology being responsible for environmental turmoil came to light in the 80’s with Lynn White Jr’s paper on the subject. Although the six page essay sparked much discussion and rebuttal, the main idea that Christians have been abusing their theology to harm the environment were supported recently by the Pope. With the newest publication from the Vatican the Pope admits that has been an ongoing problem and that it needs to stop. The question now is whether or not Christian will heed this warning and follow the Pope’s instruction.