To till and keep the earth: What can Adam’s calling teach us about our own vocation in creation? My latest at Catholic World Report addresses this question and explores how Joseph Ratzinger confronts the claim that Christianity has ruined the planet. For those who give it a read, hope you enjoy!
As has been a frequent blessing, I also had the opportunity to talk about this for a half hour on this subject with host Marcus Peter on the following Ave Maria in the Afternoon radio segment. My segment can be found if you scroll about halfway down on the link above.
From the article’s introduction…
Over the past few months, much of my time and energy has been devoted to a side project exploring God’s two books through the lens of Pope Benedict’s dialogue with atheism. Now, however, I’d like to shift back to reflecting on the fundamental principles that ground the Catholic Church’s approach to the environment. As I’ve written before at Catholic World Report, this vision is rooted in the idea that all creatures are united with the Triune God and with one another in a cosmic covenant.
Even as we share a familial connection with God’s other creatures, it is also true that man alone bears the unique privilege of embodying the divine image and likeness. Because of this gift, our species has been uniquely charged with the responsibility of fostering this cosmic communion through acts of loving stewardship.
This task is detailed vividly in the Bible’s opening creation accounts. The fundamental duties of man are first outlined in the directive to “subdue” the earth and “have dominion” over it (Gen 1:28). They are then reinforced when Genesis declares that man has been put on earth to “till and keep” God’s garden (Gen 2:15). In what follows, I’ll delve into the meaning of these revealed imperatives, confront some objections commonly levied against them, and unpack their authentic implications with the help of a great mind who thought about them a lot: Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI).
Detail from “Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden” (1530) by Lucas Cranach the Elder (Image: WikiArt.org)
