Study 3
Careless dominion
Key point: The fall and its impact on the natural world
Preparation
Ask your group members to each bring a newspaper article about a current environmental problem. You might also look at reputable Internet sites such as the science section of the BBC news website.
Opening discussion
Ask each person to briefly summarise the news story they have brought.
1. What is the overall message from these articles?
Read Hosea 4:1-3
Read pages 46-48 of CTE.
2. What has gone wrong with our relationship with nature and what are the consequences?
3. The Bible sees this as a result of our disobedience to God. Why does this make our current environmental crisis a spiritual issue and does this mean that we need a spiritual solution?
Read Genesis 3:17-24
Read pages 52-57
4. What are the environmental implications of the fall?
We often consider the impact of the fall on the broken relationship between God and humans. This passage makes it clear that the relationship between humans and the rest of creation was also damaged.
Read the section on population on pages 63-74 of CTE
5. How should we respond to the population issue as Christians?
Read Romans 8:19-22
Read pages 75-78
The Christian Gospel has a message of hope for humans that they can be forgiven and their relationship with God restored for eternity. There is also a gospel message of hope for creation.
6. What is creation waiting for?
7. How has this freedom been won?
8. What are the consequences of this for a biblical understanding of redemption?
Read Joel 3:18
9. What does this biblical redemption look like?
Discussion
Read the section on Climate Change (58-61 in CTE). Discuss the implications of climate change on: yourselves as individuals; future generations (including your own children and grandchildren if you have any): people in low income countries; and the world's biodiversity. How can we make a holistic response as Christians and what other factors do we need to take into account?
If there are those in your group who are sceptical about climate change, you may like to look at the Royal Society booklet as background for your discussion.
Practical action
Consider starting a Carbon Fast: each person in your group could decide on one thing that they are going to do to reduce the use of carbon. It might be as simple as changing a light bulb or might be more ambitious such as using the car much less or not flying on holiday. Each person should decide on something that is achievable for them.
Points to consider
If your group would like to look further into climate change you could have an evening watching “An Inconvenient Truth”.
