Catholic Church and environmental conservation

Some catholic religious practices and teachings enshrined in their doctrines and books of laws have championed environmental protection to a reasonable extent. Activities such as protection of shrines as sacred prayer places and abstaining from meat on Fridays are primary examples (In Bauch, 2013). The following are picture books addressing the Catholics perception on the theme Environment.

Long, J. A. (2008). The big picture book of environments. Crows Nest, N.S.W: Allen & Unwin.

Long Albert John is a professor, a paleontologist at Flinders University in southern Australia and proficient author with high reputation in writing popular science book, and as well. He is a highly experienced and a top publishing influencer, addressing people in writing conferences in the major cities across the world. He has written many top-selling books on different worldwide platforms such as the reputable book selling e-commerce platform Amazon. Therefore, the above information about the author makes the book more credible and authentic for the theme in question.

Besides, on the central theme of discussion, the book itself explores the theme of the environment with well-choreographed and sequential pictures that show the teaching and intervention made by different sacred groups Catholic Church inclusive towards environmental conservation or protection. The book deliberates explicitly on the effective doctrinal practices such as protection of sacred groves (Kmiec, & In Adler, 2015). The Catholic all over the world has segregated some natural, serene places that they consider sacred and holy. The places, which are always in forested lands and plantations, are set aside for rituals and places of prayer. Consequently, the believers dearly cherish these natural places and therefore protect them. By so doing, they protect natural habitats since for a variety of species as the books explores in details. The biophysical environmental that include the biota and the biota in the ecosystem are protected from extinction as well as the food relationships that the food chains and the food webs.

In addition, the book also explores an in-depth relationship of the religion’s periodic practices such as abstaining from taking meat on Fridays. The practice is environmental protection oriented and has a long-term effect on one of the most harmful environmental threats and challenge called the climate change (Kmiec, & In Adler, 2015). Low intake of meat, means dwindling of environmental pollutants that emanate from slaughterhouses and that is the cow dung smell, and GHG called methane. Methane is dangerous GHG capable of increasing the global atmospheric temperature with a greater margin or degree. Hence the religious practice of abstaining meets on particular days hence to mitigate and control climate change.

Moreover, the picture book was published in the recent years with of the most reputable publisher crows net publishers know for their exemplary work in book publishing and editing. The book was published in 2008, hence embeds some of the most current and trending valid and reliable information on religion contribution to environment protection.

Marian E Crowe                             

Crowe, M. E. (2007). Aiming  Heaven, getting the earth: The English Catholic novel today. Lanham, MD [u.a.: Lexington Books.

Lexington Books is one of the leading, highly commercialized, and reputable publishers across the globe. The publishing group is an independent corporation that was founded since 1949. The company has quite a big number of imprints and offer journal and scholarly for academic market together with trade books. The many years of experience in the field of publishing as well as exemplary, the company displays makes the novel reliable for further research on topic Catholicism and environmental protection. The information about Catholicism facts, doctrines geared towards environmental protection on this story is real time since the book was published in the recent past.

The book addresses and validates the centrality of the Catholic novel; it explores the vitality of various contemporary, traditional English practices that were undertaken in the past and were imported and ought to be emulated. Marian analyses the critical contribution of Catholic novelists such as David Lodge, Piers Paul Reed, Alice Thomas and Sara Maitland. Furthermore, she deliberates mostly on their activism and good ideas and perception on environmental protection, the book also elaborates their contribution on effective on environmental stewardship.

One of the primary tools of environmental protection is the awareness creation, this is the process of enlightening people, and developing right attitude, and behavior towards the environment, which is what is referred to as environmental education. The five pillars of environmental education that are awareness creation change of attitude, participation in environmental activities, having knowledge on the environment as well as developing skills to conserve the environment. The above principles are known as the Tbilisi Declaration of 1977. As the novel posits some of the above fundamental principles of environmental education is enshrined in the doctrine of Catholicism such as passing down nature knowledge to their children (In Spring & UNESCO, 2009).

The directive of teaching Catholic children on matters concerning nature as well as inculcating and building the love of nature in them is a perfect way of environmental stewardship. Good environmental education both from educational program and from religious teaching like in the case of Catholic is a vital weapon in the environment protection. The practices, doctrine and spiritual perspective of teaching on environmental matters change the notion, the attitude, and then the behavior towards the environment to become good stewards of the environment.

Apart from the context, the novel is valid and reliable since the novelist is one of the most experienced and learned professionals in the field of religion book. The book is written with immense professional prowess and in-depth knowledge, alongside insightful stories that bring the theme more clearly to the readership. Owing to this, the prowess of novel writing and the vast experience the novelist behold after writing a record number of high selling books across the world on religion primarily Catholic makes the work authentic and reliable. Therefore, the story embedded in this book give one insightful idea and knowledge on how the Catholic as a religious following their practices, teachings, and laws have put in the effort to conserve the environment.                                    

 

Haan, B..., & Mierau, K. (2014). Microhistory and the picaresque novel: The first exploration into commensurable perspectives. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

The two authors, Haan and Mierau, are prominent people in the field of religion writing especially in Catholicism. The team Ben a contingent of Doctors of Philosophy from the same university but different interrelated faculties makes the team one of its kind. Haan is a professional researcher and a staff member in the university whereas Mierau Konstantin is as assistant professor European literature and culture Spanish at the University, in the Department of European culture and language. The two has years experience of their jobs and there with Mierau being prominent matters of religion aspect. The above qualities and the experiences the authors behold in their careers accolade this book the credibility to be used in the research of the theme of discussion.

The novel entitled Microhistory and the picaresque novel: The first exploration into commensurable perspectives, is a very paramount book to be used in this studies and study since it proves more relevance to the topic of study. In more explicit version, the novel insightfully elaborates the fundamental pillars of the Catholic religion all the way from the doctrines, practices as well as the milestone contribution the religion has put in place in various sectors environment being inclusive  (Hill, 2008). One of the undying messages in the novel involves the moral standards and values that govern the entire belief highlighting responsibility as a moral value. Explicitly, the Catholic religion highly values morality in maintaining purity and the tradition of the faith.

On the religion perspective about the environment, they regard environmental protection as a moral issue and that the mandate to protect the environment is a divine directive. They believe that it is the duty of the people to take care of the environment since the scriptures say, “The earth and all that is in it are God’s creation and as that it holds belongs to the Lord.” Therefore, the religion believes and teaching the followers that in response to the incredible gifts God has bequeathed the humanity the only appreciation towards the same is in offering protection to God's creations. Some of the naturals give highlighted by the religion entail nourishment from the sea, fruits from the land, life-sustaining waters and free air (Hill, 2008). 

In line with the deliberation of the contents of this book, the Catholic Church under their leadership of Pope and assisted by a council of bishops have developed an environmental justice program that deliberates moral perspective and discuss on some of the environmental key questions and provide solutions where necessary as a religion. The environmental justice program also known as EJP initiated by the in the religion’s governance structure called the Department of Justice, Peace, and Human development is mandated with one essential duty to the Catholic believers (In Spring & UNESCO, 2009). The program that majorly deals with believers capacity building is mandated to motivate and educate members of the religion, the Catholic church to respect and revere God’s creation. Furthermore, the program is also charged with a duty to encourage the Catholics to address the environmental issues deliberately, and problem as a way of helping the poor and the vulnerable since environmental adversely affect the valuable and the poor.

The notion has been perpetually addressing by Catholic leaders over the years with the most distinctive one being in the World Peace Day message in 1990. The book also explore the significant of the essential contribution of the religion on environmental stewardship in the form of insightful stories hence this makes the book key and appropriate in the study of the topic in question.

In addition, the novel is one of the most recent publications on Catholicism and environment, hence the research and the details discussed or the themes in each story is real time and updated. Moreover, one of the leading publishers on t Globe publishes the novel hence authentic and reliable.

In conclusion, environmental stewardship is essential since the fight backs or the detrimental consequences that come to a result of mismanagement and mishandling of environment are fatal, unbearable, and irreversible. Therefore, the Catholics contribution in environmental protection is spectacular.

 

Reference list

In Bauch, P. A. (2013). Catholic schools the public interest: Past, present, and future directions.   

In Spring, U. O., & UNESCO. (2009). International Security, Peace, Development, and Environment. Oxford: EOLSS Publishers.

Kmiec, D. W., & In Adler, G. J. J. (2015). Secularism, Catholicism, and the future of public life: A dialogue with Ambassador Douglas W. Kmiec.

Hill, B. (2008). The ongoing renewal of Catholicism. Winona, MN: Saint Mary's Press.