ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how Christian teachings, institutions, and practices have helped, and can continue to help, frame global environmental and animal law. The introduction is followed by a brief historical overview of Christianity’s approach to environmental and animal law, placed in the context of related traditions such as Judaism, Greco-Roman philosophy, and Roman law. The past, present, and possible future of constructive dialogue between Christianity, on one hand, and environmental protection and animal rights, on the other, is then explored through five topics, namely the global community, human stewardship, the interconnectedness of all things, epistemic humility, and relevant variations within Christianity. The chapter concludes that some genealogies of environmentalism underestimate or ignore Christianity, while others reduce it to irredeemably anthropocentric irrelevance. However, Christianity is in a unique position to inform environmentalism and animal law. One reason is its global vantage point, and another is its long-held notion of humankind’s common identity and interest. Christianity’s third advantage in exploring environmental and animal law concerns is that it is a live and adaptable tradition, capable of both using and transcending its historical resources, and bringing its revived resources to bear on environmental and pro-animal sensibilities around the world. Finally, Christians can mobilize elements of their tradition that harmonize with their beliefs as well as with current and potential future trends in global environmental and animal law.
