A THEOLOGICAL APPRAISAL OF ANTHROPOGENIC ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

Abstract

The situation of a threatened earth has become a major cause of worry today. Worsening is the awareness of anthropogenic factors and humankind's inability to abate these major causes of environmental blight that afflict the earth, the abode of human life, with murderous wounds. This paper supposes that the problem of environmental degradation can be sustainably resolved if one can arrive at an underlying principle upon which to base an ecological ethic that can guide and direct human use of the environment and its resources. This paper locates this in the Christian doctrine of creation. Juxtaposing the purposefulness of creation and mankind's vocation of caring and nurturing the earth, the challenges of anthropogenic environmental degradation raise new questions regarding humankind's diligence in the exercise of this office. Theological hermeneutic is employed in addressing the threatening ecological question that has left the present time perplexed. The paper hypothesizes that degradation is a consequence of mankind's derailment from his original vocation. It concludes that a viable solution lies in returning to this original vocation as entrusted to humankind by the Creator. It uses deforestation for illustrative purposes.