ABSTRACT
Throughout this book some historic events and their effects have been discussed in the context of the present event of climate change. This is a new context for human history, a contemporary event with a global compass whose effects now call for change in us too. The change required is from a self-image dominated by a perception of ourselves as having the right to use earth’s resources independently of the needs of all other beings. That in turn requires theological change: from an image of God as granting us the power to do this. Together, these images have contributed to a theological climate that in turn has sanctioned activities now shown to be dangerously close to destroying the planetary life support systems on which all earth’s inhabitants, including us, depend. Part of a theological response to this state of affairs must be a willingness to change our images of God from those that sanction violence towards others and degradation of the earth’s resources, to those that encourage us to relate nonviolently to each other, to the earth and to God.
