Pollution and the Death of Man
At the creation of the world, God gave mankind the responsibility to exercise dominion over the earth. Man was to use the earth and its abundance of resources to satisfy his physical needs, but he was also to care for the earth and its creatures as a wise and godly steward. Reading about endangered species or another oil spill will make it abundantly clear that the human race has failed miserably in its God-given mandate. How did we get to this point? Where should we go from here?
This classic by Francis Schaeffer, now repackaged, looks at contemporary ecological crises through the lens of theology and Scripture. Renowned for his work in applied philosophy and theology, Schaeffer answers serious philosophical questions about creation and ecology. He concludes that we must return to a profoundly and radically biblical understanding of God’s relationship to the earth, and of our divine mandate to exercise godly dominion over it. Repackaged and republished, Pollution and the Death of Man carries an important and relevant message for our day. With concluding chapter by Udo Middelmann.
Top Highlights
“First, as we have seen, by the emphasis upon creation. Then, second, by a fresh understanding of man’s ‘dominion’ over nature (Genesis 1:28). Man has dominion over the ‘lower’ orders of creation, but he is not sovereign over them. Only God is the Sovereign Lord, and the lower orders are to be used with this truth in mind. Man is not using his own possessions.” (source)
“What I am saying is that a pantheistic answer is not just a theoretically weak answer, but it is also a weak answer in practice. A man who begins to take a pantheistic view of nature has no answer for the fact that nature has two faces: it has a benevolent face, but it may also be an enemy.” (source)
“For the death of man can not only result from a polluted earth, but also, and much sooner, from the acceptance of a worldview which does not treasure the life of persons.” (source)
“Those who propose the pantheistic answer ignore this fact—that far from raising nature to man’s height, pantheism must push both man and nature down into a bog.” (source)
“Pantheism will be pressed as the only answer to ecological problems and will be one more influence in the West’s becoming increasingly Eastern in its thinking.” (source)
Product Details
- Title : Pollution and the Death of Man
- Authors:
- Schaeffer, Francis A.
- Middelmann, Udo W.
- White Jr., Lynn
- Means, Richard
- Publisher: Crossway
- Publication Date: 2011
- ISBN: 9781433519505
