Ecology: a Cosmological and Theological Issue

Abstract

This article offers an interpretation of the current ecological crisis as an eminently cosmological and theological issue, prior to being an ethical or technical one. Through an analysis of the main philosophical-religious paradigms underlying ecological cosmology—namely pantheism, panentheism, and theism—the study shows how each of these provides a possible foundation for the intrinsic value of nature and a distinctive hermeneutics of the relationship between human beings and the cosmos. From this perspective, the Christian tradition and the paradigm of stewardship converge in integral ecology, which highlights the close correlation between environmental crisis and anthropological crisis. The article thus proposes a critical reformulation of the role of humanity within the cosmic order.