Die Godsredes in die boek Job: Ideologie en eko-teologie

Abstract

The divine speeches in the book of Job: Ideology and eco-theology
The ecological crisis has sensitised many to ask seriously how eco-just are we towards the earth and its inhabitants? A “green”-awareness obviously also influences our reading of texts, like all readings which are never value free. A “green”-ideological focus on the divine speeches of Job, lays bare its subtext of eco-justice. Creation, in its intimate relationship with God, has intrinsic value and worth, and becomes - to a certain extent - even “holy”. Nature should be seen in a theocentric and not in a anthropocentric way. It does not exist for the sake of humans alone, in fact, it seems better off without human intervention. Humans are not above nature, but co-subjects of the earth community and should utilize its inhabitants as role models in the mastering of the art of life. Both school and church can play key roles in promoting a universal environmental ethics, as witnessed in Job.