ECO-THEOLOGY NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

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ECO-THEOLOGYNATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

• BY DR. THOM KETTELKAMP

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John Wesleys QuadrilateralHow to Build an
Ethic

• Scripture
• Life
  Experience
• Tradition
• Reason

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Absolutes vs. Relatives

• SCRIPTURE
• ABSOLUTES
• DISTINCTIVES
• CODES OF CONDUCT
• OPINIONS

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CRISIS

• LAND
• WATER
• AIR
• RESOURCES
• FOOD
• POPULATION
• MANAGEMENT

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Confusion of a Christian World Ethic

• Our concept of DOMINION
• World as Cosmos gt John 316
• World as Culture and systems gt
• James 44
• World as material possessions gt
• Matthew 1626

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Hurricane MITCH
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QUESTIONS

• Is there such a thing as a natural disaster or
  are hurricanes, floods, avalanches, pestilence,
  droughts, famines, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.
  just natural occurrences, events or weather
  systems that humankind just happened by random
  chance to get in the way?

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Another Question

• Are these natural disasters simply a result of
  the FALL which includes not only humankind but
  also the creation?

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More Questions

• Does God actively use these natural events to
  punish people groups or do these systems just
  randomly roam around the creation creating their
  own destiny?
• What did Jesus say?
• Is God punishing the people of Honduras for being
  disobedient?

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Another Question

• Does God love ALL of creation, including killer
  hurricanes?

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Scripture

• Romans 8 18-22 (creation groaning)
• Psalms 148 (All creation will glorify God the
  creator)
• Isaiah 11 (Redemption of All creation)
• Genesis 131 (said it was VERY good, all of it)
• Jeremiah 525 (everything happens in some way to
  glorify Him) Gen 822

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Scripture

• Do not grow weary of doing good

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The Mind of Christ in Creation

• 1. LOVE Gods creation
• 2. Have JOY in his creation
• 3. Pursue PEACE (Shalom)
• 4. Have PATIENCE w/ the natural process
• 5. Be KIND and GOOD to all of creation
• 6. Be FAITHFUL in stewardship
• 7. Be GENTILE to the creation
• 8. Have TEMPERANCE (self control) with the
  creation

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Scripture

• If anyone has material possessions
• and see his brother in need
• but has not pity on him,
• how can the love of God be in Him?
• Dear children, let us not love with words or
  tongue but with actions and in truth.
• 1 John 3 17-18

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A Christian World View

• Transcendence
• Importance of personal salvation
• (ones personal relationship to Jesus Christ and
  NOT the rest of creation
• Nature is a place of turmoil, is threatening,
  dangerous, to be feared for its wildness
• Has value in its usefulness as a commodity
• certain elements are either obstacles, in the way
  or inconvenient
• Identify some elements as good and others as
  bad (work ethic)

• Communion
• Nature has intrinsic value (All of it)
• One should seek to live in harmony with all
  elements or pay the price
• Sin is disrupting Gods well arranged ecological
  system
• So God loved the world then so should weall of
  it.
• God said it was very good
• Dominion does not mean exploitation
• It means stewardship, caretaking, managing
• Isiah 351,2 Pv 164 Ex 916-22