Stewardship, Sustainability and Faith - Essay Example

g to this model, God definitely rewarded us with power over our environment, but as long as we use it as sensible stewards, using our power with sympathy and kindness. This is the point of view that is favored within conservative and evangelical communities, to the point that this branch of Christianity decides to deal with the environmental concern (McFague 2000). The New Testament refines these ideas and attaches a radical necessity with its explanation of stewardship. This radical quality is an important alternative to several of the more severe moral perspectives in traditional environmental ethics.

The story of the talents and story of the good steward in the Bible sum up the idea (Vischer 1997). The protection of what is entrusted to use requires an understanding of the creator’s orders for the environment. We should be aware of the laws, needs, and limits of the planet for us to know how to use them well. The parable of the talents tells us that we who are chosen with the environment will be asked to explain our duty to take care of the planet (McFague 2000). The stewardship perspective says that the environmental and moral limitations are valued, and it attaches the duty to share out the fruits equally.

Ecological sustainability has been identified as addressing the requirements and demands of the present without giving up the capacity of future generations to fulfill their needs. Religion can contribute well to the concept of sustainability—by extending the point of view to all those expectations and thoughts that reach outside the practical and social abilities of human beings—hence by leading the way towards God and to a truth that we do not have control of, or protect the earth on our own (Bakken, Engel, & Engel 1995).

An equally balancing connection hence exists between the idea of Christian duty for creation and sustainability. Our duty for creation, on the one hand, has to pursue the direction of sustainability so as to become socially