Essay - Gaia and God Rosemary R. Ruether's Book, Gaia and God:...

Gaia and God

***** R. Ruether's book, Gaia ***** God: An Ecofeminist Theology of Earth Healing presents a thorough look at the relationship between Christianity, patriarchal society, and ***** destruction ***** the environment. She argues that ***** Christian concept of sin is at the root of ***** domination ***** women, the environment, ***** the need to dominate o*****r humans. In *****der to overcome th***** destructive tradition, Rue*****er argues ***** as a society we must learn to move toward "earth healing, a healed relationship between men and *****, between cl*****ses and nations, and ***** humans ***** the earth" (1). A number of practical suggestions that derive from the ethical implications of Ruether's thesis provide a solid basis for changes in public policy.

***** ***** and *****, Ruether offers a critique th*****t is solidly based upon Christian theology. In examining three cornerstone creation stories of Western thought (the Enuma Elish, Plato's Timeaus, and Genesis), ***** argues that early Christianity's melding of these three sources has resulted in the formation of two assumptions. The first is that nature was originally an untouched paradise that ***** a benign hum***** environment. The second was that human sin brought about human mortality. Fur*****r, she argues that ***** two assumptions have created an ***** were hum***** attitudes ***** ***** over nonhuman creation are inextricably linked with the Christian concept of *****. Rue*****r sees sin as the improper relationship that exists between ***** and the remainder of nature, ***** ***** sin itself is at the root of many human concerns like sexism, racism, political and economic injustice, as well as the human desire to subjug*****e nature.

Ruether's book is unique and valuable in its ability to successfully integrate criticism of Christian ecology with some hard scientific information. She is equally at home discussing concepts ***** population growth, pollution, extinction and poverty ***** ***** is in her theological discussion of the *****s of human sin. She argues convincingly that ***** Christian assumption ***** humans originally lived in harmonious groups in a benign environment is incorrect, ***** th*****t sin must be distinguished ***** finitude, the good conditions ***** human life that ***** created by God. Further, she is adept at identifying and criticizing many of *****ity's h*****toric acts and attitudes that ***** resulted in damage to human society and the environment.

***** argues that male dom*****ation of ***** and of women are closely connected. It is this attitude ***** ***** domination that is the root cause of ***** ***** of the environment, the subjugation of women, and human ***** of domination over others, whether this domination is social, *****, or political.

Ultimately, Ruether asserts that relentless ***** abuse will cause the destruction of the ecosystem.

***** ***** a number of ***** implications that emerge from ***** ***** within Gaia and God. Ruether cl***** argues that humankind's subversion ***** ***** ***** the earth is a sin ********** God. *****, the domination of humans by each other is a sinful act.

If the author's thesis is true, it holds several important implications