Environmental ethics GCSE RE — stewardship, creation and religious duties to the planet

Every major world religion teaches something about humanity's relationship with the natural world — and those teachings are increasingly relevant to climate change, deforestation and species loss. Whether framed as stewardship, interconnection or sacred creation, religious environmental ethics shapes how billions of people think about their duties to the planet.

Why do world religions have views on the environment?

Religious traditions developed their teachings on nature long before modern environmental crises, but those teachings contain principles that have direct relevance today. Every major religion addresses questions such as: Is the natural world sacred? What is humanity's role in relation to nature — master, steward or part of a larger web of life? Do we have duties to non-human creatures and to future generations?

These questions matter beyond theology. Religious communities account for a significant share of global land ownership, educational influence and community organisation — how they apply their environmental teachings has real-world consequences for conservation, consumption and climate policy.

What does Christianity teach about environmental responsibility?

Christianity's approach to the environment is shaped primarily by the creation account in Genesis and by the concept of stewardship.

The creation mandate: Genesis 1 describes God creating the world and declaring it "good." Humans are created "in the image of God" (imago Dei) and given "dominion" over other creatures (Genesis 1:28). This verse has been interpreted two ways:

• Dominion as mastery: humanity has the right to use nature for its own purposes. Critics such as historian Lynn White (writing in 1967) argued this interpretation drove Western exploitation of the environment.
• Dominion as stewardship: humanity is placed in charge of creation on God's behalf, as a steward (manager) who must care for what belongs to God, not simply use it up. The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30) is sometimes cited to suggest stewards must account for what was entrusted to them.

Pope Francis's 2015 encyclical Laudato Si' ("On Care for Our Common Home") represents the strongest statement of Catholic environmental responsibility, calling climate change "one of the principal challenges facing humanity" and arguing that environmental destruction disproportionately harms the poor — connecting environmental ethics with social justice.

What does Islam teach about the environment?

Islamic environmental teaching centres on two concepts: khalifah (stewardship/vicegerency) and the idea that creation belongs to Allah.

Khalifah: the Qur'an describes humans as God's khalifah (steward or vicegerent) on Earth — entrusted to care for creation, not to destroy it. "We made from water every living thing" (Qur'an 21:30) — water and all natural systems are signs (ayat) of God's power and must be respected.

Mizan (balance): the Qur'an describes the natural world as being maintained in perfect balance (mizan) by God. Humans are responsible for not disturbing that balance: "Do not spread corruption in the land after it has been set in order" (Qur'an 7:56). Environmental destruction is seen as fasad (corruption) — a religious as well as ethical wrong.

Practical applications: many Muslim scholars and organisations argue that reducing waste, protecting water sources, and avoiding pollution are Islamic duties. The Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IFEES) has been active in translating these principles into conservation action.

What do other religions teach about environmental responsibility?

What is the debate about "dominion" in Genesis?

This is one of the most debated questions in religious environmental ethics. Historian Lynn White Jr argued in a famous 1967 essay that the Genesis concept of human "dominion" over nature was the root cause of the Western environmental crisis — by placing humans above nature and treating the world as humanity's resource. His argument sparked decades of debate.

Critics of White's thesis point out that:

• "Dominion" in the original Hebrew (radah) is used of a shepherd's care for sheep — not a tyrant's exploitation
• Genesis also includes the instruction to "tend and keep" the garden (Genesis 2:15) — clearly a stewardship, not a destructive, mandate
• Many non-Christian societies have caused significant environmental damage without any Genesis theology

Supporters of environmental reform within Christianity argue that the problem was not the text but its misinterpretation, and that the "stewardship" reading is truer to the full biblical picture.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between stewardship and dominion?

In religious environmental ethics, stewardship means managing and caring for nature on behalf of God — with the responsibility to hand it on in good condition. Dominion refers to the authority humans have been given over nature. The key question is whether this authority is a licence to exploit or a responsibility to protect. Most major Christian denominations now interpret dominion as stewardship — a position supported by passages such as Psalm 24:1 ("The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it"), which implies that the earth belongs to God, not humanity, and that humans are temporary caretakers.

Do religions support environmentalism in practice, or only in theory?

Both. At the community level, many religious organisations run practical environmental programmes: the Sikh community's EcoSikh network has planted millions of trees; Catholic dioceses worldwide are implementing Laudato Si' action plans; Buddhist monasteries in Thailand have ordained trees as monks to protect them from logging. At the national and international level, religious leaders have spoken at climate summits and signed joint declarations. The criticism is that institutional religious action has often lagged behind the scale of the problem, and that internal priorities (institutional finances, internal disputes) distract from environmental commitment.

How should I answer a GCSE RE question about the environment?

Structure your answer around: (1) what two specific religious traditions teach, with reference to texts or concepts (e.g. "Christians believe in stewardship — Genesis 2:15 says to 'tend and keep' the garden"; "Muslims see themselves as khalifah — Qur'an 7:56 warns against 'corruption in the land'"); (2) how these teachings apply to a specific issue (climate change, species extinction, pollution); (3) a non-religious perspective (secular environmentalism based on scientific evidence or utilitarian ethics); (4) a balanced conclusion about whether religious environmental ethics is a sufficient or effective response.

Are there any religious teachings that seem to oppose environmental protection?

Some interpretations within certain traditions create tension with environmentalism. Some Christian denominations that hold beliefs in an imminent end of the world (eschatology) have argued that environmental protection is unimportant compared with saving souls, since the world will soon be remade by God. Some interpretations of human "dominion" in Genesis have been used to justify resource extraction. These views are minority positions within global Christianity, and most mainstream denominations explicitly reject them. In Islam, any interpretation that justifies fasad (environmental corruption) would be rejected by scholars as contrary to Qur'anic teaching.

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