EARTHKEEPING NEWS A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY Volume Three, Number Two November/December 1993 A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse . . . on him the spirit of Yahweh rests, a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and power...a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Yahweh. The wolf lives with the lamb; the panther lies down with the kid; calf and lion cub feed together with a little boy to lead them . . . They do no hurt, no harm on all my holy mountain, for the country is filled with the knowledge of Yahweh as the waters swell the sea. (from Isaiah 11: 1-9, Jerusalem Bible ) FAITH BASED CONSULTATION ADDRESSES ETHICAL RELATIONS WITH ANIMALS A Consultation on Ethical Relations with Other Creatures, November 18-21, 1993, in Arkansas, brings together leaders in the fields of environmental science, animal protection and theology to reach across areas of disagreement, and to develop a more complete code of ethics for human relations with other creatures. This is a major effort by co-sponsors North American Conference on Christianity and Ecology (NACCE), the Center for Respect of Life and Environment (CRLE) affiliated with the Humane Society of the United States, and Heifer Project International (HPI) to overcome the polarization among animal protection, environmental and Christian faith communities. In addition to printing, the proceedings of the Consultation will be audio and video recorded for use on television, in regional conferences and on-going dialogue in local faith communities. Consultants include: Richard Cartwright Austin, environmental theologian, Appalachian Ministries Educational Resource Center; J. Baird Callicott, prof. of philosophy, University of Wisconsin/Stevens Point; Richard Clugston, director, CRLE; James DeVries, director, international program for HPI; Calvin DeWitt, director, Au Sable Institute; Susan Flader, prof. of history, University of Missouri; David Hall, special projects officer, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Jenny Holmes, a director of NACCE and its conference coordinator; Darrell Huddleston, northeast regional director, Heifer Project; Wes Jackson, director, Land Institute, Salina KS; Marti Kheel, Feminists for Animal Rights, Berkeley CA; Andrew Kmbrell, Foundation on Economic Trends, Washington DC; Fred Kirschenmann, Kirschenmann Family Farms, Windsor ND; Andrew Linzey, director, Center for Study of Theology, University of Essex, England; Jay McDaniel, director, Center for Study of Religion and Philosophy, Hendrix College, AR; Eleanor Rae, director, Center for Women, the Earth and the Divine, Ridgefield CT; Carolyn Raffensperger, a director of NACCE and former executive director, Illinois Sierra Club. For more information, write Jenny Homes, NACCE, PO Box 66336, Washington DC 20035; or Richard Clugston, Center for Respect of Life and Environment, 2100 L St. NW, Washington DC 20037 (202) 778-6133. "God brought things into being in order that His goodness might be communicated to creatures and be represented by them. And because His goodness could not be adequately represented by one creature alone, He produced many and diverse creatures, that what was wanting to one in the representation of the divine goodness might be supplied by another . . . And hence the whole universe together participates in the divine goodness more perfectly, and represents it better, than any single creature whatever." (Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Question 47) Home     Table of Contents