Dominion Over Wildlife? An Environmental Theology of Human-Wildlife Relations (WD-23)

Dominion Over Wildlife? An Environmental Theology of Human-Wildlife Relations (WD-23), 2009, 208 pp. Vantassel, Stephen, Forward by Rakow, Tom C. Description: For centuries Christians believed that God granted humanity dominion over the animal kingdom, meaning that we had a moral right to kill, manage, and eat animals including wildlife. Recently, however, environmental and animal rights activists have assaulted this traditional perspective. In this book, Vantassell investigates the biblical, ethical, and scientific arguments employ by the Christian Animal Rights movement concerning human-wildlife relations. In this regard, the book engages in practical theology by addressing several important questions: How should Christians treat our wildlife neighbors? Has the Church been wrong it its understanding of human dominion? Does God want Christians to avoid hunting, trapping, fishing, and adopt a vegetarian lifestyle? This book provides answers to these questions by detailing a theology the author calls, "Shepherdism."