Ecotheology
Ecotheology is a constructive theology based on the relationship of religion and nature. For UU's it is informed by all seven of our Principles, especially the seventh, "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part."
I really love words.
Many of you already know this about me.
I've made words my life in many ways.
Today, understanding our topic involves
some details about the word Ecotheology.
I want to start with some etymology,
a brief study of the orgin of the word.
The prefix first: "eco" comes
from the Greek word for home.
For our purposes, it's best to give
the broadest possible interpretation of home.
Mother Earth, Gaia herself, is our home.
Home management in the broadest sense
means our concern with stewardship of the Earth
and all the resources she provides us.
Such a wide view of home is familiar
in more ways than one.
The term ecumenical, which we use
to refer to cooperation among religious groups
with common goals,
refers to the whole earth
as the home of our human family.
With the broadest possible interpretation of home,
we are all involved with the maintenance
of our shared home.
The second part of the term, ecotheology,
is theology.
In the high middle ages, theology was considered
the Queen of the Sciences.
Today it is not regarded as a science at all,
but we can think of it as the study of being.
After all, the first encounter of God with Moses
revolved around God's name, a conjugation
of the verb "to be", YHWH,
the tetragrammaton (simply, four letters).
In Hebrew, Arabic and other semitic languages,
the system of verbs and their conjugations
is extremely complex.
One valid translation of YHWH is the cause of being.
So theology at its root
is the study of being and the cause of being,
of what is and what is not
and how all of it came to be.
As such it is surely a worthwhile study.
A frequent expression lately is,
"It is what it is."
A corollary: "It is what it is, and what it is, is an is,"
and that is a Buddhist expression
guiding us into acceptance of the here and now.
And so, even in our highly sceptical age,
theology can still be the Queen of the Sciences
when we understand theology to be
the study of being and its cause.
In my brief summary (blurb) of today's sermon,
I referred to ecotheology
as a constructive theology.
That means it is an alternative
to systematic theology.
In turn, systematic theology is the presentation
of a particular church's doctrines and dogmas,
what the Quakers call their "notions".
(I love that!)
When I was in seminary, I was appalled
to find that my professor of systematic theology
used Luther's Large Catechism as our text.
It seemed to me a glorified confirmation class,
but by the definition
that systematic theology presents
a particular church's doctrines and dogmas,
I guess it made sense.
At least a constructive theology like ecotheology
is an alternative to all of that.
As a constructive theology, ecotheology
can move in a positive or negative direction.
The negative direction would claim
that the consequence of most religious doctrines
is the degradation of nature.
You can imagine that my preference
is to move our thinking in a more positive direction.
Certainly many religious doctrines do indeed involve
disparagement of nature
and the natural order.
You may recall a whole sermon about
dominion versus dominionism.
Dominionism tries to justify
the domination and exploitation of nature.
I claim that dominion does not entail domination
but rather a kind of stewardship and loving care
that sees our relationship with nature
as a matter of our responsibility
to live within the limits of being together
on a small planet.
Even the passage in Genesis
that prescribes dominion
calls upon humanity
to "replenish the earth"
(at least in the King James version).
I'm convinced that religion can be an ally
of the care of nature,
not only its domination and abuse.
It's especially important for us to consider this truth,
since we are engaged in a common read
about Justice on Earth,
and a major portion of such justice
is our relationship with nature
and the effects of that relationship
on human quality of life.
Within the readings
we consider the role of faith and religion
in the establishment of justice,
especially in the sense of our relationship
with our home, the Earth
and each other,
brothers and sisters
within our earthly family.
The concept of ecotheology is and will be
an important part of our sharing the common read.
It's a rich concept,
far more useful for me
in its positive approach,
thinking together about the ways
our faith and our own theologies
can help us and strengthen us
for the tasks ahead
as we work for justice on earth.
Before looking more deeply into all that,
I want to be sure everyone is aware
that our lunchtime discussions today,
on May 5 and on June 2,
are very open,
whether or not you have read
the book, Justice on Earth.
Now, we will think together
about the Earth, our home,
and the ways our theologies,
our approach to being,
can enable our understanding
of our responsibilities as stewards,
as loving care givers for our world
and for each other.
The burgeoning new life of Spring
can call our attention to a renewal of hope
as we work together toward justice on earth.
We can be entering Springtime for Mother Earth, too
as we rethink our relationships with nature
and with each other as we live together
in the natural world
and together we develop
positive approaches
to our share dependency
on the natural order
and on each other.
As we rethink our relationships with the earth
and with each other
we can move forward by choice
toward the Omega Point posited by
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
where the strands of all history
and all creation come together
bringing the world as one
in hope, love and unity.
Most of all, I believe,
we need to think about the validity and power
of our Seventh Principle
as Unitarian Universalists:
"Respect for the interdependent web of all existence
of which we are a part."
I see three concepts here
for us to keep close to our hearts.
First, respect is the recognition
of the rights and needs of others.
[ and that refers back to the first principle:
the inherent worth and dignity of every person
All the Seven Principles intersect...
Would I really do that? I guess I just did!]
Second, interdependence is the reality
that we all need each other.
Third, we are ALL a part of the interdependence,
no matter how independent we may think we are.
Finally, we consider ecotheology
as an approach to our way of being together
in our home, the earth.
Thinking about being brings together
past, present and future.
Our past on earth has not always been
as we might wish it could have been.
Our present is full of opportunities and challenges.
Our future is uncertain,
but we can fill it with hope.
I do love words, and the way we use them
in our thinking, speaking and acting
will affect the way we treat the earth
and each other.
To close, here are some words from Justice on Earth:
"We recommit ourselves to this world as holy ground when we remember the fullness of life that is possible through our communities, our life-affirming rituals, and our love of beauty. Thus immersed, we are more responsive to and responsible for life in this world."
Amen.
So mote it be.
Blessed Be.
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