Justification by grace through faith from an ecological perspective: Reformed theology, environmental ethics, and social justice

This dissertation argues that a Reformed ecological doctrine of 'justification by grace through faith' adds an important element to ecological theology for the North American context. Drawing on John Calvin, Jurgen Moltmann, and feminist theologies, this study constructs a Reformed ecological doctrine of justification that promotes more equitable attitudes toward environmental pollution.; Looking first at Calvin's doctrine of justification, this study highlights the sense of wholeness and humility grounded in Christ's righteousness. When understood within the framework of Calvin's link between justification and sanctification, on the one hand, and between personal salvation and social concern, on the other, such wholeness and humility promotes self-sacrificial behavior on behalf of others.; Reflecting on this doctrine in light of current ecological and environmental concerns, I observe that Calvin's conception of a Christ-based self-worth frees us from societal pressures that promise fulfillment and status through thoughtless consumption. Furthermore, Calvin's conception of self-worth promotes self-sacrifice on behalf of environmentally-disadvantaged communities. When reconceived in light of feminist critiques on self-sacrifice, this sense of worth empowers the believer to make thoughtful, ethically-directed, and even self-sacrificial choices on socio-environmental matters, whether consumer decisions or support for political policies.; Looking next at Moltmann's theology of the cross, we note the following contributions. Moltmann points us to Christ as emphatically as Calvin, though more to Christ's suffering than to Christ's righteousness. As a result, he brings a concern for ethical action, protest against injustice, and a concern for the structural dimensions of social justice into his theology of the cross and doctrine of justification. Finally, Moltmann provides a cosmic view of Christ's sufferings, thus promoting concern for the environment itself.; When integrated with ecological doctrines of creation and the image of God, such a Calvin and Moltmann-based doctrine of justification gains further ethical power. First, it acquires a broader theological anthropology. Second, it adds concern for the environment itself to its concern for human communities adversely affected by socio-environmental conditions.