ABSTRACT

Especially after the UN conference in Rio in 1992, the preservation of biodiversity has become a central element in environmental politics, both at the national and the international level. This is an issue which has also been discussed within theological ethics. Contrary to policy documents, which mainly emphasize the anthropocentric reasons for preserving biodiversity, most contemporary ecological theologians claim that species deserve moral consideration and that we have a duty towards nature itself to preserve biodiversity. The ecofeminists Rosemary Radford Ruether and Sallie McFague are two of the most influential theologians who have defended this viewpoint. Their ecological theologies have, however, been criticized for being incompatible with evolutionary biology – for example by Lisa Sideris. In this article I start by briefly describing Ruether’s and McFague’s ethical standpoints. Then I present and evaluate Sideris’s critique. Afterwards I discuss the theology of nature put forward by Niels Henrik Gregersen, which I think is more convincing than the ecotheologies of Ruether, McFague and Sideris. Finally, I outline my own proposal for a Christian response to the issue of biodiversity.