WRITE A TERM PAPER ON OLD TESTAMENT AND ECOLOGY

16/20

DOMINION UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF THEOLOGICAL STUDIES

AN ASSIGNMENT SUBMITTED TO DR. SAMUEL K.B NKRUMAH-POBI

IN PARTIAL FUFILLMENT OF THE COURSE REQUIREMENT

INTRODUCTION TO OLD TESTAMENT (THY 203)

BY BLESSED AMANOR MENSAH (BA/THC/ LEVEL 200)

I.D.NO BA/THC/20232432

MARCH, 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................1

1.0 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................1

2.0 METHOD(S) OF RESEARCH.............................................................................3

3.0 LITERATURE REVIEW......................................................................................3

4.0 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...........................................................................4

5.0 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................4

6.0 REFERENCES.......................................................................................................5

ABSTRACT

It has been a long age argument as to whether ecology existed on its own or was

created by a supernatural being, who of course lives outside its creation and controls

the affairs of men. The one who is believed to have created the worldly environment,

in which we enjoy today, and all that is within it, from the very invincible insect to the

largest being; the air we breathe and the trees we take shelter from. The piece seeks to

discuss and inference the correlation between the Old testament and Ecology, what

the old testament teaches about ecology. This paper will present a good view on the

Old Testaments view on Ecology.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

According to the Oxford dictionary; Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with

the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings, and the
other hand the old testament is the first part of the Christian Bible, comprising thirty-

nine books and corresponding approximately to the Hebrew Bible.

God created enabling environment for man to live in, and to recreate. The old

testaments view on ecology projects God as the greatest creator ever existed. The

book of Genesis 1 writes about God’s creation of the universe, and all that is

contained within it. Ecology then can traced to the creation of the heavens and the

earth, living organisms that reside within. Every living being relies on these three

elements created by God in order to survive; thus sea, air,and land. It will then be very

disappointing to separate Ecology from the Old testament, because ecology cannot

stand on its own, like detaching a tree from its root and yet claiming independency on

the part of the tree.

1.2 Significance of the Study

The rationale of this study is to establish a strong case that the old testament scripture

is the foundation of ecology and that any discussion of ecology without referencing to

the old testament is a waste of space in arguing.

1.3 Scope and Limitations

The study is limited to the old testament, although there could be enough proof within

the new testament.

2.0 METHOD(S) OF RESEARCH

2.1 What method(s) were used to carry out the research work
The method that was employed in carrying out this piece was relying solely on

understanding of the course and scripture and the view of some written text from the

internet.

3.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

3.1 What the Old Testament Writes About Ecology

As written in the book of Genesis 1, “In the beginning, when God created the heavens

and the earth, then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw how

good the light was… God called the dry land “the earth,” and the basin of the water he

called “the sea.” God saw how good it was. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth

vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth,

and” God saw how good it was, then God made the two great lights, the greater one to

govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars, and God

saw how good it was, then God created man in his image; in the divine image he

created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: “Be fertile

and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the

birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.” God also said: “See,

I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-

bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of

the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants

for food.” And so it happened. God looked at everything he had made, and he found it

very good… Such is the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation. (Genesis

1:27-31; 2:4) 
Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and he placed there the man

whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made various trees grow that

were delightful to look at and good for food… A river rises in Eden to water the

garden… The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to

cultivate and care for it. (Genesis 2:8-10; 15)

So the Lord God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of

the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the

man called each of them would be its name. (Genesis 2:19)  

3.2 Summary

This chapter summarises the literature review and discusses in depth the importance

of the step to step activities that occurred during creation.

4.0 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter summarises the literature review and discusses in depth the importance

of the Old Testament in our present world, which have highlighted some sources of

our environmental species. With the introduction of the Old Testament into our

present world, some questions like; who created the world, how did the trees come

into being, where do we get breathe from, and so on, that could have been very

difficult to explain with even scientific knowledge has been answered by the old

testament. Explaining the Genesis of creation to the end of creation and who was

behind it, and processes through which of them came into being, their responsibilities,

and hierarchy of supremacy.

5.0 CONCLUSION
Everything mankind needs to know about interacting with creation can be found in

the pages of Scripture. And more than that, once we realize that our destinies are so

closely tied to both God and the creation around us, we Christians will have all the

more reason to care for creation.

REFERENCES

Bartkowski, JP, and WS Swearingen. “God Meets Gaia in Austin, Texas: A Case
Study of Environmentalism as Implicit Religion.” Review of Religious
Research 38.4 (1997) : 308. 24 Oct. 2012.
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Bauckham, R. “Reading the Sermon on the Mount in an Age of Ecological
Catastrophe.” Studies in Christian Ethics 22.1 (2009) : 76–88. 22 Oct. 2012.
<http://sce.sagepub.com/cgi/doi/10.1177/0953946808100227>.
Bishop, Steve. “Green Theology and Deep Ecology: New Age or New Creation?”
Themelios 16.3 (1991) : 8–14. 24 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.theologicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ecology_bishop.pdf>.
Carroll, Dennis. “A GREEN THEOLOGY? THEOLOGY AND ECOLOGY.” n.
pag. 7 Sep. 2012. <https://docs.google.com/viewer?
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ZdAOtxE1lCZrFh966Bvx0HX3UbmwCVgoLLjukKYXLsR4mLOQWYVU
nz4XZ2MDJC
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