ABSTRACT
For most of the two millennia of its history, Christian theologians understood that the earth was the effective center of the universe. With humans as the most important creature on the planet, humanity was clearly the focus of creation. As subjects with souls, they held dominion over the rest of nature. Not only were they separate from a profane creation, they were to seek further separation from a fallen world in order to attain their true home in heaven. However, with a growing understanding of an evolutionary universe and with the advancements of cosmic physics, a cosmology of cosmogenesis recently began to take root in the minds of at least some Christian theologians. This shift not only changed Christian theologizing on the place of humanity within creation, but also began a reformation of Christian notions of the sacredness of creation as well as the place and role of the Divine within cosmogenesis. This chapter examines the implications of adopting a cosmology of cosmogenesis for an emerging understanding of ecotheological anthropology, and how such a conversion of faith can redefine humanity’s response to ecological challenges.
