Without the Word of God no creature has being. God’s Word is in all creation, visible and invisible. The Word is living, being, spirit, all verdant greening, all creativity. All creation is awakened, called, by the resounding melody, God’s invocation of the Word. All creation is a symphony of praise to God.
— Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
Ecotheology: A derivative, practical theology that describes how our faith informs human interactions with Creation, including how we are to care for the earth and how we can thus care for God’s people.
Derivative theology means ecotheology is secondary to the tenets of our faith, expressing a life application gained from Biblical truths. It builds from my scriptural understanding of who God is, how He relates to us, and what’s wrong with the world, through to what God is doing to redeem all of Creation by Jesus’ death and resurrection and how we are to participate in that.
God created the world good, designed to display God’s glory, giving humans and other creatures a place to flourish and know Him
Instead, we turned and sought our own glory rather than remaining in right relationship with God. This also impacted our relationships with the earth and other people
God is continually working toward the restoration of right relationship in all creation – the focal point of this is Christ
God invites us to work with Him, walk alongside Him in his restorative work – restoring relationship with Him, with each other, and with the earth
God will succeed in restoring (not destroying) all creation, forming it as a place for us to exist in right relationship with Him