Theology of Climate Change Mitigation , Stewardship and Adaptation: The Place of the Church

Abstract

In this age of technology characterized by capitalist and materialist culture, Christian ministry pertaining to the natural world of creation has been relegated to the background in the teaching and preaching of many churches whereas on the other hand, it has long been held that the environment is among the most pressing concerns of this generation. While most Christians appreciate the beauty of nature, many do not realize that there is a strong biblical basis for creation care, and that, in fact, many ethical values, fundamental to the development of a peaceful society, are particularly relevant to the ecological question. The purpose of this research is twofold, firstly, to establish the basis for the Church’s response to the problem of climate change by correlating climate change with the Biblical mandate for creation care and secondly, to provide recommendations on how creation care can be integrated into the local church’s administration and ministry. Recent scientific findings on climate change alongside its environmental and social implications provided the framework upon which this research is based. This paper through descriptive phenomenological method of scholarship made an inroad into the role of the church as steward of the entire oikoumene-the entire inhabited earth. The significance of the research is that it has provided a document that spells out clearly why and how Christian Churches should be involved in tackling the issue of climate change and the resultant ecological problems facing the world today.

Keywords: Theology. Climatic change, mitigation stewardship, adaptation