Environmental Stewardship: Biblical Theology as a Basis for Ecclesial Participation.

Abstract

Environmental problems and climate change have recently emerged asenormous problems affecting the world. Various organizations and groups have been actively trying to respond to this menace. Christians however all over the world are demonstrating passive attitude towards environmental management. Many Christians believe that there is lack of clear Biblical guidance on their role in environmental matters. They thus do not know how God expects them to act. Other Christians are trying to get such guidance from non-biblical sources, which are not authoritative enough to compel Christians to act in certain ways. This study seeks to answer the question: “How should a Christian act towards the environment?”To answer the question, a descriptive exegetical study was conducted on scriptural passages linked to key doctrines (Creation, Man, Sin, Covenant, Christology, Eschatology and Salvation) to find out if they also provide direction on how Christians need to treat the environment. These key theological themes were chosen because they are regarded fundamental to orthodox Christian faith. The findings of this study show that most of the scriptures linked to key theological themes also provide guidance on how Christians should treat the environment.
Key Words: Environment, Stewardship, Theology, Biblical, Dominion, Responsible.
Bible Version used: New International Version.