Romans 8:18-25 – The Hope of Creation J. Mark Lawson

Lynn White, Jr. and Jerry Mander in their respective articles have put the blame of the ecological crisis on God’s command in Genesis 1:28 that people “have dominion” over other forms of life and are to “subdue” the earth. Author J. Mark Lawson has observed that ecologists like Mander and White, “dismiss Christian faith, not because of the hypocrisy of its members, but on the grounds that it is intrinsically exploitative” (Lawson, 559).  The ecologists also have cited a restored French fort located out of Syracuse, New York that has an ancient French Bible opened to Genesis 1:28, which quotes “have dominion.” Essentially, the quote on the caption is meant to be a philosophical basis for the colonial attack on Native American cultures.  The author agrees that the command in the Genesis creation story has been bitterly misused in the past to “justify economic upheavals, destruction of native cultures, and abuse of the land” (Lawson, 559). Nonetheless, Lawson argues that the Jewish-Christians scriptures are not intrinsically exploitative like the above ecologists have understood them to be. Thus, the author’s purpose is apologetic in that he provides the interpretation of “dominion” that “precludes exploitation” (Lawson, 559). Romans 8:18-25 is the passage Lawson exegetes to shed light on God’s righteous purpose in giving people dominion over the earth, how man’s sinful nature has perverted creation, and all these in hope of restoration. Continue reading Journal Review: Romans 8:18-25-The Hope of Creation →