Place of Humans in Creation: A Re-Reading of Psalm 8
Keywords:
human dignity, Psalm 8, dominion, ecology, nature
Abstract
The natural damage and global warming witnessed in the past two decades were forecasted over 50 years ago by the scholar Lynn White, who asserted that these environmental challenges stem from a misinterpretation of human dignity in the Holy Scripture. This paper commences with an exploration of White’s allegations, subsequently endeavoring to discern the authentic essence of human dignity from Psalm 8 and its positioning within the context of creation. The findings of this study underscore that a misapprehension of human dignity’s essence can indeed lead to errors in the stewardship of nature. Conversely, when human dignity is accurately understood, the positive outcome entails the vigilant and responsible care of the natural environment.
References
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Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Poetry. New York: Basic Books, A Member of the Perseus Books Group, 2011.
Alter, Robert. The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2007.
Brueggemann, Walter. The Message of The Psalms: A Theological Commentary. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1984.
Brueggemann, Walter and William H. Bellinger. Psalms. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014.
Francis, Pope. Laudato Deum, Apostolic Exhortation. (Vatican City: Vatican Press, 2023).
Gillingham, Susan. Psalms through the Centuries : A Reception History Commentary on Psalms 1-72, Volume 2. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell, 2018.
Goldingay, John. Psalms. Vol 1: Psalms 1-41. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Publishing Group, 2006.
Jenkins, Willis Ecologies of Grace: Environmental Ethics and Christians Theology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Moltmann, Jürgen. God in Creation: An Ecological Doctrine of Creation. Translated by Margaret Kohl. London: SCM Press Ltd, 1985.
The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible.
White, Lynn Jr. “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis.” Science, 10 March 1967.
Witherington, Ben. Psalms Old and New: Exegesis, Intertextuality, and Hermeneutics. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2017.
