Article Review Sjes3324

8/18/2019 Article Review Sjes3324

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Kogilan a/l Bama Daven

SFES3324 (Environment and Religion)

Review of Lynn Wite !r"#$ %&e 'i$torial Root$ of *r Eologial +ri$i$,

Lynn &" Wite !r" %&e 'i$torial Root$ of *r Eologial +ri$i$,- Siene- .ol 00 (311)-

ar - 51- 6623721

&i$ artile e86lain te $it*ation we faing today 9y glo9al 6eo6le wi i$ eologial

ri$i$" &i$ eologial ri$i$ a66en$ not 9y year$ ago 9*t Lynn Wite a$ $*mmarie$ ere in

i$ i$torial root one6t wi mean$ today$ eologial ri$i$ a66en$ from te 6a$temergene of $iene and tenology" :nd e al$o give $ome $*gge$tion(an$wer) to overome

ti$ eologial ri$i$ in te end of ti$ artile"

'ere- Lynn Wite 9ring$ *$ to te 6a$t were e $6ea;$ $ome i$tory on emergene of

$iene- tenology and religion and ow it$ got effet o*r daily ro*tine and ange te 9alane

of environment lead$ to eologial ri$i$" 'e give$ few e8am6le$ were man anged i$

environment" %


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event in *man i$tory $ine te invention of agri*lt*re- and 6era6$ in non*man terre$trial

i$tory a$ well" $oft oal- 9*t o*r 6re$ent om9*$tion of fo$$il f*el$ treaten$ to ange te

emi$try of te glo9e@$ atmo$6ere a$ a wole- wit on$eA*ene$ wi we are only 9eginning

to g*e$$" Wit te 6o6*lation e86lo$ion- te arinoma of 6lanle$$ *r9ani$m- te now geologial

de6o$it$ of $ewage and gar9age- $*rely no reat*re oter tan man a$ ever managed to fo*l it$

ne$t in $* $ort order,"

:ording to Lynn Wite- e e86lain te greate$t event in *man i$tory $ine te

invention of agri*lt*re" agri*lt*re a$ 9een te ief o*6ation even in advaned $oietie$C

ene- any ange in metod$ of tillage a$ m* im6ortane" Early 6low$- drawn 9y two o8en-

did not normally t*rn te $od 9*t merely $rated it" &*$- ro$$7 6lowing wa$ needed and field$

tended to 9e $A*ari$" ?n te fairly ligt $oil$ and $emiarid limate$ of te =ear Ea$t and

editerranean- ti$ wor;ed well" B*t $* a 6low wa$ ina66ro6riate to te wet limate and often

$ti;y $oil$ of nortern E*ro6e" ?n te day$ of te $rat76low- field$ were di$tri9*ted generally

in *nit$ a6a9le of $*66orting a $ingle family" S*9$i$tene farming wa$ te 6re$*66o$ition" B*t

no 6ea$ant owned eigt o8en to *$e te new and more effiient 6low- 6ea$ant$ 6ooled teir o8en

to form large 6low7team$- originally reeiving (it wo*ld a66ear) 6lowed $tri6$ in 6ro6ortion to

teir ontri9*tion" &*$- di$tri9*tion of land wa$ 9a$ed no longer on te need$ of a family 9*t-

rater- on te a6aity of a 6ower maine to till te eart" an@$ relation to te $oil wa$

6rofo*ndly anged" Formerly man ad 9een 6art of nat*reC now e wa$ te e86loiter of nat*re"

=owere el$e in te world did farmer$ develo6 any analogo*$ agri*lt*ral im6lement" 'e

A*e$tioned- ?$ it oinidene tat modern tenology- wit it$ r*tle$$ne$$ toward nat*re- a$ $o

largely 9een 6rod*ed 9y de$endant$ of te$e 6ea$ant$ of nortern E*ro6e

'owever- all te $iene and tenology wor;$ tat develo6ing now i$ *$t 9ringing

di$a$tero*$ effet 9a; to *$" 'ow 6e6le live in te 6a$t ent*ry wito*t ti$" Bea*$e tey

on$idered $iene and tenology a$ a different ting" &ey give 6riority to $iene wi i$

follow$ god$ advie and not arm nat*re" We an $ee ti$ in ti$ artile very learly", ?n te Latin

We$t 9y te early 3t ent*ry nat*ral teology wa$ following a very different 9ent" ?t wa$


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ea$ing to 9e te deoding of te 6y$ial $ym9ol$ of God@$ omm*niation wit man andwa$

9eoming te effort to *nder$tand God@$ mind 9y di$ overing ow i$ reation o6erate$" &e

rain9ow wa$ no longer $im6ly a $ym9ol of o6e fir$t $ent to =oa after te Del*ge Ro9ert

Gro$$ete$te- Friar Roger Baon- and &eodori of Frei9erg 6rod*ed $tartlingly $o6i$tiated

wor; on te o6ti$ of te rain9ow- 9*t tey did it a$ a vent*re in religio*$ *nder$tanding" From

te 3t ent*ry onward- *6 to and inl*ding LeitnitH and =ewton- every maor $ienti$t- in

effet- e86lained i$ motivation$ in religio*$ term$" ?ndeed- if Galileo ad not 9een $o e86ert an

amate*r teologian e wo*ld ave got into far le$$ tro*9le te 6rofe$$ional$ re$ented i$

intr*$ion" :nd =ewton $eem$ to ave regarded im$elf more a$ a teologian tan a$ a $ienti$t" ?t

wa$ not *ntil te late >t ent*ry tat te y6ote$i$ of God 9eame *nnee$$ary to many

$ienti$t$" ?t i$ often ard for te i$torian to *dge- wen men e86lain wy tey are doing wat

tey want to do- weter tey are offering real rea$on$ or merely *lt*rally ae6ta9le rea$on$"

&e on$i$teny wit wi $ienti$t$ d*ring te long formative ent*rie$ of We$tern $iene

$aid tat te ta$; and te reward of te $ienti$t wa$ to tin; God@$ to*gt$ after im lead$

one to 9elieve tat ti$ wa$ teir real motivation" ?f $o- ten modern We$tern $iene wa$ a$t in

a matri8 of +ri$tian teology" &e dynami$m of religio*$ devotion $a6ed 9y te !*deo

+ri$tian dogma of reation- gave it im6et*$"

:t $ome 6oint at te end- e $aying a9o*t Saint Frani$ one6t i$ good to follow to ;ee6

te $*$taina9ility of nat*re rater 9y aving eologial ri$i$" Wat we do a9o*t eology de6end$

on o*r idea$ of te man7nat*re relation$i6" ore $iene and more tenology are not going to

get *$ o*t of te 6re$ent eologi ri$i$ *ntil we find a new religion- or retin; o*r old one" &e

9eatni;$- wo are te 9a$i revol*tionarie$ of o*r t ime- $ow a $o*nd in$tint in teir affinity for

Ien B*ddi$m- wi oneive$ of te man7nat*re relation$i6 a$ very nearly te mirror image

of te +ri$tian view" Ien- owever- i$ a$ dee6ly onditioned 9y :$ian i$tory a$ +ri$tianity i$

9y te e86eriene of te We$t- and ? am d*9io*$ of it$ via9ility among *$" Later ommentator$

ave $aid tat Frani$ 6reaed to te 9ird$ a$ a re9*;e to men wo wo*ld not li$ten" &e reord$

do not read $o e *rged te little 9ird$ to 6rai$e God- and in $6irit*al e$ta$y tey fla66ed teir

wing$ and ir6ed reoiing" Legend$ of $aint$- e$6eially te ?ri$ $aint$- ad long told of teir

dealing$ wit animal$ 9*t alway$- ? 9elieve- to $ow teir *man dominane over reat*re$" Wit


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Frani$ it i$ different" &e land aro*nd G*99io in te :6ennine$ wa$ ravaged 9y a fiere wolf"

Saint Frani$- $ay$ te legend- tal;ed to te wolf and 6er$*aded im of te error of i$ way$" &e

wolf re6ented- died in te odor of $antity- and wa$ 9*ried in on$erated gro*nd" &e greate$t

$6irit*al revol*tionary in We$tern i$tory- Saint Frani$- 6ro6o$ed wat e to*gt wa$ an

alternative +ri$tian view of nat*re and man@$ relation to itC e tried to $*9$tit*te te idea of te

eA*ality of all reat*re$- inl*ding man- for te idea of man@$ limitle$$ r*le of reation" 'e failed"

Bot o*r 6re$ent $iene and o*r 6re$ent tenology are $o tint*red wit ortodo8 +ri$tian

arrogane toward nat*re tat no $ol*tion for o*r eologi ri$i$ an 9e e86eted from tem alone"

Sine te root$ of o*r tro*9le are $o largely religio*$- te remedy m*$t al$o 9e e$$entially

religio*$- weter we all it tat or not" We m*$t retin; and refeel o*r nat*re and de$tiny" &e

6rofo*ndly religio*$- 9*t eretial- $en$e of te 6rimitive Frani$an$ for te $6irit*al a*tonomy

of all 6art$ of nat*re may 6oint a diretion" ? 6ro6o$e Frani$ a$ a 6atron $aint for eologi$t$"

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Article Review Sjes3324