Toward a Sacramental Theology for an Ecological Age

The dimensions of the ecological crisis are global, both in geographical and physiological terms. Every comer of the world and every life structure is affected by ecological decline, much of which is a direct result of human activity. Many scholars propose that an anthropocentric bias which undergirds human activity and decision making is one of the main causes of the ecological crisis. But anthropocentrism did not arise out of a vacuum. The influence of post-Enlightenment thought and philosophy with its concentration on the human subject, coupled with developments in the human and natural sciences, marked a dramatic cultural shift by uncoupling humanity from its connection to and roots in nature. One of the negative results of this shift was an unrestrained exploitation of the natural world. Such a human-centred worldview is no longer defensible in today's context. I suggest that this imbalance in the study and practice of sacramental theology must be redressed. There are a number of reasons for this.