JOURNALS

ABSTRACT

This paper is titled "The Church and Ecological Concerns: A Dogmatic-Systematic Approach". The task of a theologian is to animate theology with charity, which is the life of the church. Theology orients men and women toward a life of integral love: love directed, first of all, towards God, secondly towards their fellow human beings and thirdly towards the rest of creation. The absence of the love for creation is evident in the indiscriminate manner in which man plunders the earth with reckless abandon and complete lack of consideration for the effects of his actions on the present and future. The paper began with an introduction to give a direction to the study. The theological framework is established in which is discussed the doctrine of creation as the foundation of the Church’s teachings on the environment. An exposition of the ecological concerns of today reveals such ominous problems as pollution, deforestation, global warming and many natural disasters. In highlighting the causes, the paper reveals technology, development, capitalism, anthropocentricism and, above all, the disruption of universal connectedness as major factors. These result in many disastrous effects on plant and animal species. The Church's position on the global ecological concerns is x-rayed, with a special focus on ecumenical and papal documents. Finally, such recommendations as ecology-based pedagogy, concretizing eco-theology and eco-spirituality, parish and diocesan ecological projects, ecological inculturation and ecumenical collaboration, among others are proffered and the conclusion is drawn. For the purpose of this research, the systematic and thematic methods of inquiry were employed.