The Church and the Ecological Crisis Dr. K. V. Thomas and Dr. Elizabeth Thomas* Introduction “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” . Instead of taking care of it man misused and exploited the earth. Over the centuries his activities endangered the very existence of the earth and all that is in it, by destroying its ecological equilibrium. 1
Historical Background In the early stages of history, the Christian Churches all over the world adopted a favorable attitude towards nature. St Francis of Assisi in many of his poems “extolled the natural world and the God who created it” . During the Renaissance there was a dramatic change in the conceptualization of nature. The creator was reduced as an inventor with no “ongoing relationship with his creation” . Thus, the earth was converted to a resource-base for human consumption. The churches across the world were no exception to these changes. 2
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The inordinate misuse of the earth continued until 1960s when some environmentalists became aware of the disastrous effects of industrialization; certain religious groups joined too . The World Council of Churches (WCC) became active in environmental advocacy since 1970s mainly by lobbying at major international conferences. 4
date of 2030 for the church to become carbon neutral. Several church dioceses are developing strong diocesan environmental plans . > 8
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has joined other representatives from the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, Methodist and Reformed Churches, the Salvation Army and other denominations along with leaders in the Muslim, Sikh and Jewish communities to sign the Lambeth Declaration (2015/16) as an urgent call of interfaith leaders. The Declaration highlights: “As leaders of the faith communities we recognize the urgent need for action on climate change. From the perspective of our different faiths, we see the earth as a beautiful gift… for the sake of all who share this world today and those who will share it tomorrow” . 9
United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church of the United States has been active in supporting the farmers of their rural churches in their agricultural activities to save nature . They are very active in climate change responses as well, for example, the Methodist church's response before the COP26 such as: 10
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Continuing to take steps at all levels to reduce carbon footprint in conjunction with organisation such as 'Eco Church'.
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A youth led campaign called 'Climate Justice for All' that will work on an international stage to highlight the global challenges facing communities ahead of COP26 in November.
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Working ecumenically through the Joint Public Issue Team to promote resources and action for climate justice .
Roman Catholic Church The Roman Catholic Church initiated action against the ecological crisis when Pope John Paul II on January 1, 1990, delivered his ‘World Day of Peace message’ in which he lamented a “widespread destruction of environment” . Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environmental crisis, ‘Laudato Si’, Published in 2015, strongly reasoned “one’s moral responsibility for earth as our home” . 5
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The Catholic Green Initiative has helped parish schools to install solar panels and has advocated for state legislatures in California to climatic change and sustainability. The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) and the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) have shown great interest in protecting nature. The Bishops Council exhorts the faithful to adopt the policy of “recycle, reuse, reduce” without affecting natural resources . 7
Anglican Church Anglican churches all over the world respond to multiple disasters in different countries and the youths of the
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Presbyterian Church The Presbyterian General Assemblies in the USA have given special emphasis on issues of environmental protection and justice since the late 1960s. The Assemblies major policy statements on environment were in 1971 and 1990 and on energy in 1981. The 202 General Assembly (1990) adopted a policy statement on “Restoring creation for Ecology and Justice”. One important recommendation of the 208 (2008) General Assembly was that an increasing percentage of the nation’s energy be produced renewably and sustainably” . nd
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churches actively take part in creating awareness pertaining to the dangers of ecological imbalance. In February, 2020 Church of England's General Synod set an ambitious target
Seventh Day Adventists The Seventh Day Adventists advocate a simple wholesome lifestyle, where people are advised to avoid over
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