A ceja1994

Environmental Ethics and Applied Theology

'A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.' - Aldo Leopold

This quote serves as a binary for thinkers to build a structure of what is ethically right or wrong in terms of the environment.

Article Proposal

After critically assessing the wikipedia article, I plan on editing and adding to the Applied Theology section of the Environmental ethics article. I will be referencing work by classic Environmental writers like Thoreau and Leopold because they explicit refer to environmental ethics, John Muir, and a modern Environmentalist named Jenny Price who turns the idea of environmental ethics upside down in the best possible way, simply to engage people and make them appreciate what is in their immediacy which strengthens my purpose to find a breadth of secondary sources about our perception of the environment. Price studied under William Cronon who brings up the notion that nature is a synthesized idea and putting theological value upon nature adds to this anthropocentric view of the environment. I must find the spectrum of belief in Applied Theology. Terry Tempest Williams clearly references the Mormon religion and its implications with the importance of nature. Less explicit and direct references to theology are made by John Muir because of his relationship with Christianity and his father's oppression.

Article Draft

Draft 1

Formerly, there was an effort to show that humans are separated from nature by theologians . This attempt served as a justification for consumptive nature in terms of natural resources. An example of this attitude can be found in the story of Manifest Destiny around the time of the industrial revolution. Westward expansion was driven by the idea that God has intended the use of this land by European Descendants. From this unsustainable point of view, a more productive one has risen. Authors like Henry D. Thoreau and John Muir implore their readers to see the inherent and intrinsic value in nature, rather than that of the anthropocentric.

Draft 2

Abrahamic religious scholars have used theology to motivate the public. Manifest destiny is an example of applying abrahamic ideologies to encourage action. These religious scholars also use these ideas to justify the consumptive tendencies of a young America around the time of the Industrial Revolution. In order to solidify the understanding that God had intended for humankind to use earths natural resources, environmental writers and religious scholars alike proclaimed that humans are separate from nature, on a higher order. For those that may critique this point of view may ask, Italic textwhy there are so many dangers in the natural world in the form of poisonous plants, animals and natural disasters, the answer is that those creatures are a result of Adam and Eve sins in the garden of Eden.

Since then, the application of theology has shifted in environmentalism. John Muir personified nature as an inviting place away from the loudness of urban centers. "For Muir and the growing number of Americans who shared his views, Satan’s home had become God’s Own Temple." The use of abrahamic religious allusions assisted Muir and the Sierra Club to create support for some of the first public nature preserves.

Draft 3

Abrahamic religious scholars have used theology to motivate the public. Manifest destiny is an example of applying abrahamic ideologies to encourage action. These religious scholars also use these ideas to justify the consumptive tendencies of a young America around the time of the Industrial Revolution. In order to solidify the understanding that God had intended for humankind to use earths natural resources, environmental writers and religious scholars alike proclaimed that humans are separate from nature, on a higher order. For those that may critique this point of view may ask, why there are so many dangers in the natural world in the form of poisonous plants, animals and natural disasters, The answer is that those creatures are a result of Adam and Eve's sins in the garden of Eden.

Since then, the application of theology has shifted in environmentalism. John Muir personified nature as an inviting place away from the loudness of urban centers. "For Muir and the growing number of Americans who shared his views, Satan’s home had become God’s Own Temple." The use of abrahamic religious allusions assisted Muir and the Sierra Club to create support for some of the first public nature preserves.

To compound the level of interest in nature among the public, authors like Terry Tempest Williams as well as John Muir build on the idea that "...God can be found wherever you are, especially outside. Family worship was not just relegated to Sunday in a chapel.” Placing intrinsic value upon nature through theology is a fundamental idea of Deep Ecology.

Final Draft

Abrahamic religious scholars have used theology to motivate the public. John L. O'Sullivan, who coined the term Manifest destiny, and other influential people like him used Abrahamic ideologies to encourage action. These religious scholars, columnists and politicians historically have used these ideas and continue to do so to justify the consumptive tendencies of a young America around the time of the Industrial Revolution. In order to solidify the understanding that God had intended for humankind to use earths natural resources, environmental writers and religious scholars alike proclaimed that humans are separate from nature, on a higher order. Those that may critique this point of view may ask the same question that John Muir asks ironically in a section of his novel A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf, why are there so many dangers in the natural world in the form of poisonous plants, animals and natural disasters, The answer is that those creatures are a result of Adam and Eve's sins in the garden of Eden.

Since the turn of the 20th century, the application of theology in environmentalism diverged into two schools of thought. The first system of understanding holds religion as the basis of environmental stewardship. The second sees the use of theology as a means to rationalize the unmanaged consumptions of natural resources. Lynn White and Calvin DeWitt represent each side of this dichotomy.

John Muir personified nature as an inviting place away from the loudness of urban centers. "For Muir and the growing number of Americans who shared his views, Satan’s home had become God’s Own Temple." The use of Abrahamic religious allusions assisted Muir and the Sierra Club to create support for some of the first public nature preserves.

Authors like Terry Tempest Williams as well as John Muir build on the idea that "...God can be found wherever you are, especially outside. Family worship was not just relegated to Sunday in a chapel.” References like these assist the general public to make a connection between paintings done at the Hudson River School, Ansel Adam's photographs, along with other types of media, and their religion or spirituality. Placing intrinsic value upon nature through theology is a fundamental idea of Deep Ecology.

Research

Annotated Bibliography

"Ecology: Religious or Secular?" by Peter Scott

This essay analyzes the different views of ecology. The religious view point serves to define qualities like stewardship and ordained holy lands. While secular ecology is defined by empirical monitoring, sustainability and resource management. Scott asks several questions and provides some criticisms for each point of view. He synthesizes the idea that within the theological perspective, the goal is to show that humans are separate from nature because of their ordainment by God, and therefore we are stewards for what is below us, essentially an anthropocentric view with lesser, wilder nature as the backdrop upon which we live our lives. The secular side focuses more on the intrinsic value of nature and "deep ecology" perspective as a means of finding space for spirituality within our understanding of ecology.

"The Trouble with Wilderness; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature" by William Cronon

A heavily thought provoking article that criticizes many master narratives referring to nature. Cronon provides a dichotomous structure for thinking of nature; as natural, or synthesized by humans, as an idea created by us, or a real place. He understands and supports that nature is a real place, and yet, the majority of people are playing on the idea of nature provided to us by master narratives like the "Sublime" and the "Frontier" ideology. He criticizes the creation of "wilderness" as a place void of humans, when ecologically speaking, people had been having an effect on places like Yosemite Valley and Yellowstone National Park since the dawn of humankind. These people were removed to create space for European descendants to continue creating themselves as the "rugged individual" just like their ancestors did when there still was a frontier to conquer. In terms of applied theology, while the frontier ideology of the nature was prominent, these environmental writers would portray fear at the sight of these awe-inspring beautiful places in nature, as if they were staring God in the face, because at that time, that relationship with God was one of fear. As the frontier shrank and the dangers of nature (ie. uncharted/unmapped land, Native American threat, etc...) the sublime and romanticized view of nature came forward. These national wildernesses, void of all human contact were playgrounds for people like Muir to frolic around in.

From Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place by Terry Tempest Williams

Tempest Williams whole book is her sharing how she copes with the loss of her mother. Throughout she uses nature, her relationship with it and the memories associated with it as a coping mechanism for her loss. She references a particular instance with her grandmother on a trip to a Wildlife preserve to go bird watching. She touches on some questions that arose when she was much younger. Did God and congress together create this wildlife preserve together? She also talks about here relationship to the Mormon church and how it coincides with the intrinsic value of nature.

An excerpt of A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir

Muir describes a scenario from his journey. This specific example serves to show that the earth is not made for man. He goes on in the second half of the writing to discuss not a particular example, but analyzes the reason why people may believe that the earth was built for us. He refers to God and The Creator, and our relationship with Him as a supporting factor that the earth indeed was made for us. After, he uses that same God to counterpoint the belief. If the earth indeed was made for us, then all of the poisonous plants, and animals wouldn't exist just like the alligator that he referenced in the anecdote he shared with us.

A Wind-storm in the Forest an essay by John Muir

Here, John Muir is describing the nature of a windstorm in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. His main goal of the essay is to show the massive amounts of chaos that happen within the forest, and yet it manages to be perfect just the way it is. He describes the chaos and imperfection as a means of creating a niche for each species to thrive within. He alludes to Charles Darwin's work on Evolution. Throughout his explanation of this wind-storm he continuously personifies the animals, plants and even geological features. He personifies them by projecting his own demeanor and his own sentiment about the world around him through these creatures. This personification is a tool to bring the average person closer to nature, so they can assimilate themselves to it and perhaps appreciate it more. His use of the capital letter "N" in the word nature suggests the symbolism between the Natural order of the world and theology, and using that as a tool to help people understand the vital importance of nature not only to our bodies but also to our spirituality.

Research Log

Date, website or book used for research, keywords used, What were you thinking?

4/09

I am now looking for contrasting views, perhaps in agreement with previous sources, yet provides another perspective on a similar situation.

The Trouble with Wilderness; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature by William Cronon

"Many of the word’s strongest associations then were biblical, for it is used over and over again in the King James Version to refer to places on the margins of civilization where it is all too easy to lose oneself in moral confusion and despair. The wilderness was where Moses had wandered with his people for forty years, and where they had nearly abandoned their God to worship a golden idol. (3) “For Pharaoh will say of the Children of Israel,” we read in Exodus, “They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.” (4) The wilderness was where Christ had struggled with the devil and endured his temptations: “And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness."

"For Muir and the growing number of Americans who shared his views, Satan’s home had become God’s Own Temple."

"In the wilderness the boundaries between human and nonhuman, between natural and supernatural, had always seemed less certain than elsewhere."

3/26

At this point, I'm attempting to find a differentiation between what deep ecology is. Are theology and secular science mutually exclusive, or are they intertwined?

"Ecology: Religious or Secular?" by Peter Scott.

Keywords: DEEP ECOLOGY, ECO-THEOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT*, THEOLOGY, DEEP ECOLOGY

Terry Tempest Williams, Refuge: An Unnatural Historyof Family and Place,

Keywords: GOD, MORMON, TEMPLE, WORSHIP

"It made sense to a child. And if the natural world was assigned spiritual values, then those days spent in wildness were sacred. We learned at an early age that God can be found wherever you are, especially outside. Family worship was not just relegated to Sunday in a chapel"

"I sat down by the rear wheels of the bus and pondered the relationship between the ibis at Bear River and an ibis foreign on the banks of the Nile. In my young mind, it had something to do with the magic of birds, how they bridge cultures and continents with their wings, how they mediate between heaven and earth."

3/19

For this entry of my research log I was looking for well-reviewed classical environmental writers that reference theology in their work.

John Muir, A Thousand-Mile walk to the Gulf

Keywords: LORD, GOD, CREATOR, CELESTIAL, SIN, UNIVERSE

John Muir, A Wind-storm in the Forest

"We all travel the milky way together; trees and men..."

A cup of coffee for you!

This is a very interesting question, A ceja1994, but I hope this cup of coffee gives you the push you need to catch up on the assignment. Jbdolphin (talk) 07:26, 10 March 2015 (UTC)

A cup of tea for you!

This is a move in the right direction, A, but your references are not very clear on several levels. For example, when you say that "The section serves as ..." it's not clear which section of what article you are referring to. On another level, you mention a number of thinkers whose work you plan to reference, but we still do not have an annotated bibliography. Keep working on it. Jbdolphin (talk) 05:20, 19 March 2015 (UTC)

A brownie for you!

Nice improvements! Keep editing and fine-tuning what you have here. Jbdolphin (talk) 03:22, 14 April 2015 (UTC)

COMMENTS

Nice additions and organization. I like the fact that you have the annotated bibliography separated out from the research log. it's easier to tell what's what.

Research log: give your reader more of things like your notes on 3/26 "At this point, I'm attempting to find a differentiation between what deep ecology is. Are theology and secular science mutually exclusive, or are they intertwined?" Let us know what you were thinking at the other points. What were you looking for? How did you go about looking for it? What did you find?

Annotated Bibliography: nice additions here. The Scott piece still needs a reference. Be sure that your annotations will be understandable to those who are not familiar with the works. For example, you write "Muir describes a scenario from his journey," but your reader would benefit from more detail about the nature of his journey.

General notes: while many of the writings you are referencing may use the archaic "man" in reference to all of humankind, this is outdated. Unless you are quoting someone else, make sure to use more inclusive terms. Humans or people often work best. Also, be sure to go back and edit--including your proposal. Your work has definitely improved in quality since then. Jbdolphin (talk) 03:19, 14 April 2015 (UTC)