Bernard Bailyn, Education in the Forming of American Society, New York: Vintage Books, 1960, p. 45.

Introduction:

The word ecology is coined by the German biologist Ernest Haeckel in 1866. It comes from
‘ekologie’ or ‘oekology’, which is derived from the Greek root ‘oikos’ meaning ‘house, habitat’ and
‘logos’ meaning ‘doctrine or study’. He defined ecology as “the biological study of the
interdependence between the different organisms that live on earth (i.e., plants, animals, birds,
fishes and humans) and natural environment that provides to all living creatures the needed
essential elements such as air, water, energy and food”. A group of organisms of different kinds
living together in one kind of environment is called ‘eco-system’. Faced with the ecological crisis our
concern; thus refers to give care to our world with all its relationships between the creatures and
natural resources.

God created a perfect earth with awe inspiring grandeur and an amazing array of biological
species. He also made provisions of abundant resources to satisfy the needs of humankind and of all
other creatures. This fact is supported both by science and the Holy Bible. But what has become of
this beautiful blue planet today is a disturbing affair spoken every day in the media. We cannot
escape from the ecological crisis today which has come upon us with the destruction of natural
resources, ozone depletion, climate change, land degradation, water pollution, deforestation,
habitat destruction, species extinction, use and misuse of biotechnology, etc. One of the reasons for
the present ecological crisis is greed. It is greed that causes people to exploit resources. And the
over-exploitation of resources is causing imbalances in nature. As Mahatma Gandhi said: “The earth
provides enough to satisfy everyone’s need, but not everyone’s greed.” We believe that
environmental problems are more spiritual than technological. And we believe that God calls us now
to confess and repent of attitudes which devalue creation. Forgetting that “the earth is the Lord’s,”
we have often simply used creation, while forgetting our responsibility to care for it.

From the beginning of the history of the Jewish community, religious education has taken a
central place in the life of the people. As it is rightly said, education depends upon what Bernard
Bailyn calls "The great axles of society - family, church, community and the economy”. Christian
education is the systematic, definite teaching ministry of the Christian community, which helps its
members in their faith formation so that they would become the agents of transformation in and
outside the community. Ecological Crisis is one of the burning issues in today's world. Since the aim
of Christian education is for social change, we should work for the change of society so that they will
concern for the destruction of ecology. As Christian Education, we can work for the ecological
concerns from the Biblical point of view, theological point of view and sociological and political point
of view.

Biblical perspective:

We, as Christians, needs to search the scriptures for better understanding of the heart of God in
relation to His creation. The Bible says that God expects, even demands, that we be stewards of His
creation. Scripture is undisputable. God created the different species of plants and animals, blessed
them, protected them and made a covenant with them. Lets’ look on to it in detail:
Old Testament:

Throughout the Old Testament, man is given such Ii position of authority over the entire natural
world that one might almost be inclined to say that there is a tendency to underestimate the
importance of the earth's natural resources. For example, God made man in his own image and
likeness, so that he might rule the fish and the birds, the cattle and wild animals, and all the reptiles
(Ps 8: 5-8). But men took advantage of their divine – like status and exploited their unique position.
They made themselves selfish lords over the entire creature world. They set out to extract from it
everything that would benefit them. God gave them light (Ps1l8: 27; 36: 9). But men have so abused
this gift of God that the light is all but shut out, and men are constrained to walk through a valley
that is as dark as death itself (Ps 23: 4). God gave men the pure sky (Ps 19: 1). But men have so
saturated the atmosphere with their putrid gaseous products that the earth is practically enveloped
by a vast blanket of smog. God gave men the oceans, with their great whales and other varieties of
marine life (Ps 104: 25-26). But men have so exploited and polluted the seas that many varieties of
sea life are in danger of becoming extinct. At creation, God filled the earth with beautiful sounds
when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy (Job 38: 7). But men
filled the earth with a cacophony of jets, SSTs, and industrial din and reduced it to a screeching
chaos.

Noah and his ark is the first "endangered species project." God wills for each species to continue,
despite the disruptions introduced by humans. Although individual animals (and people!) perish
catastrophically, God has an "adequate concern and conservation" for species. After the Flood, God
reestablishes "the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with
you, for all future generations" (Gen. 9:12-13). The story of Noah teaches sensitivity to forms of life
and to the biological and theological forces producing them. What is required is not human prudence
but principled responsibility to the biospheric Earth, to God.

Land is a Gracious Gift of God:

The book of Deuteronomy speaks of land as a gift of God given to humans (Deut. 8: 7-10) . This gives
us a sense of the relationship that exists between human being and nature, which is very clearly
based on the convent between God and Israel. The need to give rest to the land for a year is
persuaded in Levi. 25:4-5 stressing the central idea of man’s relationship to the land. In the jubilee
year this aims to establish economic and ecological equilibrium. Levi. 25:23 affirms, “The land belongs
to me and you are only strangers and guests”. It means God owns the land but is entrusted to the
human; it’s true because He created the world and all that is in it, thus, He is the real owner of
everything. This same idea is carried on by the prophets who called on the people to be just stewards
of God by practicing justice (Jer. 7:5-7) . They held that God is the owner and master of the poor and
the rich alike, therefore the prophets insisted that the resources of the earth be shared among the
poor also. It assumes also the social responsibility that ‘the land is truly Lords’ (Ps. 24:1) and we must
show profound respect to it.

The Environmental Implications of Human Disobedience:

The disobedience of Adam in Genesis and its ecological consequences highlight the importance of
nature, because it is the rejection of the divine duties placed upon his dominion of the earth. Adam’s
rejection was a rebellion against the good order of creation established by God. The result is that
Adam loses the harmonious relationship with God, Eve or nature, as he loses his dominion over the
earth. The flood narrative, which portrays the vocation of humankind to be stewards of creation,
also highlights the environmental implication of human disobedience, but the quest for autonomy
takes him away. After the flood Noah exercises human dominion over creation through the
representative animals, it is an expression of the disruption of our relationship with the environment
marred by human disobedience.

New Testament:

Nature Sustains and Promotes Life:

The image used by Jesus in his parables and miracles stresses the role of nature and natural
surroundings for the growth and well-being of all. We receive the air, water, food and habitat needed
for survival from the earth. Jesus’ teaching draw lessons from nature like vine and branches, lilies
and plants, sand and rock, sun and moon, shepherd and sheep and birds and fishes, all refer to the
work of nature in its rhythm. In olden times the farmers knew what the season or weather is to come
seeing the signs of the air, clouds, trees etc. and accordingly farmers use to begin their work of
agriculture. Thus, ecological sensitivity was an integral part of eco-living and reading. A lesson that
Jesus teaches in these parables is generosity and hospitality to everyone, especially the needy. The
tiny seed when grown into a huge tree gives the needed shelter to the wandering birds, and the little
leaven penetration into the dough transforms into large loaves of bread to feed family and friends
and family. Nature is a generous mother and provider and we may not destroy and annihilate her by
our greed and misuse, but rather imitate and follow her in promoting a culture of sharing and
solidarity. We should also show hospitality to nature itself by protecting her from meaningless
destruction and promoting her through a commitment to take part in environmental protection.

Nature Witness to the Rule of God:

Jesus used the nature images to convey the message of the kingdom of God, proving all the listeners
the concept of the rule of God in very material and down to earth terms. The parables were drawn
from the daily experiences of the peasant’s life of Palestine. The analogy of the seed, soil, harvest,
tree, leaven, bread, wine, wind etc., becomes channels for the perception of the divine working.
They communicate divine activity showing nature having its own value. Jesus uses these imageries to
communicate the role of nature in making the earth habitable and to reveal the presence of God in
the natural world. Jesus penetrates the insights to bring out his teaching using all the material,
vegetative and animal species of creation. The sun and the rain (Mt. 5:45), the scorching heat and the
south wind (Lk. 12:55), the clouds and the showers (Lk. 12:54), the earth and the sky (Lk. 12:56), the
flash of lightening (Mt. 24:27), the lilies and the grass (Mt. 6:28-30), the rock and the sand (Mt.7:26),
the seeds and the grains (Mt. 4:2-8), the thorns and the thistles (Mt. 7:16), the sparrows (Mt. 10:29)
the moth and the rust (Mt.6:19), the eagles (Mt.24:28), the ox and the dogs (Lk. 16:21), the fish and
the serpent as well as the scorpion (Lk. 11:11), the sheep and the goats (Mt. 25:32), all nature in its
varied splendor are used in the teaching of Jesus. Thus, Jesus truly was an ecologist, who showed his
eco-friendliness and eco-sensitivity in his wisdom sayings and parables.
 Therefore, in New Testament, Christians are led directly to an ethic of care for creation. Instead of
providing an occasion for the disregard and degradation of creation, the vision of the future kingdom
defines and motivates present ministries of reconciliation, including earth keeping. The ecological
implications of God’s reign are both stewardly action because of God’s first creative act and
redemptive action because of God’s re-creative act. When God reigns in the hearts of people and
ultimately throughout the universe, the earth will indeed rejoice.