Evolution, Temporality, and Ethics

On Kierkegaard’s Surprising Relevance to Eco-Theology

Authors

  • Justin D. Klassen Bellarmine University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/jsrnc.31401

Keywords:

Theology, eco-theology, environmental studies, evolutionary biology, Kierkegaard, anxiety, ethics, anthropocentrism

Abstract

Christian eco-theologians often focus significant critical attention on anthropocentric accounts of religious faith in which ‘the relation between God and the world is narrowed to God and the individual' (McFague 2008: 68). Some mention Søren Kierkegaard by name as a villain in this respect since his work is fixated on the human being's relation to God in the context of temporality and pays little attention to the physical world. I argue that eco-theologians are nonetheless writing a bright future for Kierkegaardian religious ethics precisely by embracing the insight of evolutionary biology that matter itself is historical. Stemming from an awareness of matter's inherent dynamism, eco-theological attempts to reconcile religious commitments with contemporary science engender ethical recommendations of openness to life's uncharted future. Kierkegaard's insights into the challenges of relating to temporal uncertainty therefore gain a surprisingly concrete ethical relevance in light of evolutionary science.

Author Biography

  • Justin D. Klassen, Bellarmine University
    Bellarmine University, Louisville, USA

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Published

2018-06-07

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Klassen, J. D. (2018). Evolution, Temporality, and Ethics: On Kierkegaard’s Surprising Relevance to Eco-Theology. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, 12(1), 55-75. https://doi.org/10.1558/jsrnc.31401

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