From Professor R. J. Berry
Sir, - A motion to be put in the forthcoming General Synod
debate on the environment calls for "new ecotheological resources"
(News, 26
June). Presumably, the many such resources in existence are
assumed to be inadequate.
There is, indeed, a problem in that many of them treat
environmental (or creation) care as a job to be done rather than a
mandate laid on all. Such a task of care is a second-order task,
dealing with the symptoms of an underlying disorder, not the
disorder itself.
Its effect is that creation care tends to be treated as
something for experts or enthusiasts. This is a bad misreading of
the biblical doctrine of creation. The Creator has entrusted to all
humankind without exception an obligation and responsibility to
nurture his creation on his behalf. Only when we unreservedly
acknowledge and act on this will our relevance (which includes our
evangelism) be more accepted and powerful. All creation is called
to worship, not only those of us who go to church (Psalm 148).
Worship offered without care or commitment must be defective.
The Pope has given us a picture of a sacramental creation, where
God is present and manifest in the whole created world. His
encyclical makes it abundantly clear that it is foolish to speak of
two separated domains, two non-overlapping magisteria, religion and
science. The Christian faith is that the Son reconciled all things
to the Father through the cross. Any "new ecotheological resource"
must include the recognition that the ecos is the whole
created and peopled world, made, redeemed, and sustained by God,
who is within it as well as outside time and space.
Our God is far, far too small if we treat him as concerned only
with human salvation. Laudato Si' calls for "ecological
conversion" (para. 217). It would be good if the Synod could take
this seriously and respond robustly.
SAM BERRY
Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment
University College London
London WC1E 6BT
From Mr Henry Haslam
Sir, - Population is not a "red herring", as Paul Vallely
asserts (Comment, 26 June).
Large numbers of very poor people can do immense damage to the
environment through soil degradation, destruction of natural
habitats, and loss of biodiversity.
Even more important, it is our hope and expectation that poor
populations will not remain poor. Many poor people aspire to
Western levels of affluence; the more there are of them, the more
damage they will be able to do with their (then) high-consuming
lifestyles.
Your columnist also refers to "the values of the market". The
market is an efficient mechanism for bringing together
technological progress and entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to
satisfy customer demand. The "values of the market" are those that
customers demand of it; it has no values of its own.
A thriving business is one that takes account of its customers.
As customers become more aware of their power, they are
increasingly attaching importance to social and environmental
issues. To quote a recent newspaper headline, "ethical practices
resonate with consumers." This is the way forward.
HENRY HASLAM
46B Belvedere Road
Taunton TA1 1BS