THE RELIGIOUS ROOTS OF THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS: AN ANALYSIS OF LYNN WHITE’S CRITIQUE OF WESTERN CHRISTIANITY
ДОИ:
https://doi.org/10.47054/Клучни зборови:
Lynn White, ecological crisis, philosophy, religion, Pope Francis, Laudato SiАпстракт
Lynn White, in his famous essay “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis,” analyses
the connections between Christianity and the ecological crisis. His main argument is that the worldview
promoted by Christianity, especially its interpretation of human dominion over nature, has
influenced people’s stance towards the environment, contributing to the ecological crisis. White
argues in his article that the Western Christian tradition, with its anthropocentric attitude towards
the environment, shapes humanity’s view and utilisation of natural resources. In this article, we
will analyse White’s critique of Christianity and its role in contributing to ecological devastation
throughout history, particularly in the context of the scientific and technological revolution, explore
White’s suggestions for reexamining the religious and philosophical foundations of a new,
more ethical relationship with the environment, including his proposal to draw inspiration from
the ecological teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. We will particularly focus on the key ideas of Christian
critics of Lynn White’s ideas. Finally, we will contrast Lynn White’s criticisms with Pope Francis’s
encyclical Laudato Si’ and the responses it offers to today’s ecological crisis from a Christian
perspective. According to Pope Francis, the answer to the ecological crisis lies in integral ecology
and ecological conversion, two key concepts in the encyclical. We will specifically address these
concepts in the paper, as they are central to changing the paradigm of the Catholic Church in its
relationship to the environment and the ecological crisis facing humanity.
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