The view of nature manifested in the Bible seeks after harmonization of man and environment, for the order of creation and ethical responsibility of environmental problemes are important. Therefore, environmental education needed to be grafted into th...
The view of nature manifested in the Bible seeks after harmonization of man and environment, for the order of creation and ethical responsibility of environmental problemes are important. Therefore, environmental education needed to be grafted into the biblical view of nature in order to form environment-friendly values.
The purpose of this study is to identify and comprehend the way the Old and New Testaments look at nature and matters related to environmental ethics. This effort likewise seeks to integrate its findings with the seventh grade environmental education in order to constitute new values for environmental ethics. As such, this study is divided into three major phases.
In the first stage, efforts are made to draw something about the nature of man, water, and living creatures pursuant to the seventh grade environmental education curriculum. Environmental education in secondary school, ecology in high school, and spheres and contents of environment are then analyzed. In the second stage, natural ecology-related verses are searched and analyzed in 39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books.
In the third stage, items related to nature are investigated in the seventh-grade environmental curriculum and the Old and New Testaments are grafted on the values of environmental ethics for environmental education.
As for this study finding, items related to man are found in seven books in the Old Testament including Genesis, items related to water are found in three books, items related to creatures are found in six books, items related to air are found in three books, and items related to soil are found in five books. In the New Testament, items related to man are found in five books including Matthew's Gospel, items related to creatures are found in three books, items related to water are found in one book, items related to air are found in one book and items related to soil are found in one book. Spheres are found in more books, but the spheres where the same subjects are repeated are omitted.
Environmental awareness renders nature significant and reminds us of the existence value of nature. One of the alternatives for preserving environment is to adopt the view of nature implied in the Bible. Thus, it is necessary to cultivate a will to conserve the environment and the ability to assess values with the help of environmental education. The strategy of environmental education suggested by this research is effective in grafting the biblical view of nature onto the curriculum for environmental education.
The author believes this strategy can contribute to changing values in the objectives set forth by environmental education such as awareness, knowledge, skill, value, attitude, and participation, as well as in those objectives stressed by the seventh-grade environmental education curriculum.