Nature, History and the Sacred - Judeo-Christian Motifs in Late Twentieth Century Environmentalism
It is a common contention of late twentieth century environmentalist writers that the Judea-Christian tradition, in creating a split between the human person and the natural world, and in valuing the former over the latter, can be seen as bearing a "huge burden of guilt" (White, 1967:1211)...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2002
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| In: |
Australian religion studies review
Year: 2002, Volume: 15, Issue: 2, Pages: 82-100 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | It is a common contention of late twentieth century environmentalist writers that the Judea-Christian tradition, in creating a split between the human person and the natural world, and in valuing the former over the latter, can be seen as bearing a "huge burden of guilt" (White, 1967:1211) for the contemporary environmental crisis. Importantly, such assertions are often accompanied by the valorisation of a 'pagan' approach to the non-human natural world, over and against a Judeo-Christian one. The following discussion will be addressing this late twentieth century environmentalist opposition between a 'pagan' conception of the natural world and a Judeo-Christian one in two ways. Firstly, it will be shown that it is based on an inaccurate dichotomy between oversimplified conceptions of both 'pagan' traditions, and the 'Judea-Christian' tradition. Secondly, in an ironic twist, it will be shown that the late twentieth century environmentalist framework within which such contentions are made actually employ and affirm central Judea-Christian notions, even whilst such notions are ostensibly being critiqued and discarded. Finally, the implications of this irony for the theory and practice of the early twenty-first century environmentalist movement will be outlined. |
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| ISSN: | 1744-9014 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Australian religion studies review
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