Nature, God's Great Project

Abstract. Scientific understandings suggest very strongly that humans are related to the rest of nature in ways that are expressed both by metaphors of genetic kinship and by ecological interrelatedness. The image of genetic kinship is the more intense image, and also the most likely to cause discom...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zygon
Main Author: Hefner, Philip 1932- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell 1992
In: Zygon
Year: 1992, Volume: 27, Issue: 3, Pages: 327-341
Further subjects:B kinship model
B humans and nature
B nature and ultimacy
B nucleotide sequencing
B Ecological Model
B domination over nature
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Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
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Summary:Abstract. Scientific understandings suggest very strongly that humans are related to the rest of nature in ways that are expressed both by metaphors of genetic kinship and by ecological interrelatedness. The image of genetic kinship is the more intense image, and also the most likely to cause discomfort for Western traditions. Both secular critical reason and Western religious traditions favor images that portray the relation of humans to nature in terms of separation, domination, and stewardship. At best they are ambivalent toward portrayals of a more intense relatedness. In order to best serve our self-understandings, we must recognize (1) our intrinsic kinship with the rest of nature; (2) that our purpose as humans is to serve nature; (3) that we are preparers for nature's future; (4) that our highest calling as humans is to discern the dimensions of ultimacy in nature and to conceptualize them. In this, we follow God's own pattern of investing in nature as the greatest project.
ISSN:1467-9744
Contains:Enthalten in: Zygon
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9744.1992.tb01069.x