Reversing the Rain of Death That Threatens Us All

Abstract

This essay considers the Christian ethical meanings of species loss. We begin with a description of the Dutch colonization of Mauritius, which entailed grave and irreversible species losses that foreshadowed current global realities. Revisiting the Gaia hypothesis, we argue that the whole of creation, including humanity, is interconnected and interdependent, and that it is disastrous when humans ignore our connection to the Earth community. Christians must therefore respond to species loss at theological, ethical, and spiritual levels. The imago dei and the dominion mandate must be construed by Christians to mean responsibility as the most powerful species in the Earth community to offer loving care to the whole of creation. Human responsibility must be highlighted, not archaic understandings of divine power and human weakness. Human connectedness to—rather than alienation from—creation must be nurtured before species loss finally overtakes humanity itself.