Animals and Christianity: A Book of Readings

Description

What does the Christian tradition say about the condition and rights of animals? This helpful and timely anthology of selections from the Bible and from the great Christian thinkers of all times is an essential primer for those who care about animals. The book is organized around four themes--Attitudes to Creation; the Problem of Pain; the Question of Animal Redemption; and Reverence, Responsibilities, and Rights--and concludes with a section on practical issues--Animal Experimentation, Fur-Trapping, Hunting for Sport, Intensive Farming, and Killing for Food. This book includes selections from the following: the Bible, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, Karl Barth, St. Bonaventure, John Calvin, Rene Descartes, Austin Farrer, John Hick, St. Irenaeus, St. John of the Cross, C. S. Lewis, St. Thomas More, E. F. Schumacher, Albert Scheweitzer, Paul Tillich, Leo Tolstoy, Alec Vidler, John Wesley, and others Introduction: 'A Great Ethic' p. ix Acknowledgments p. xvi Attitudes to Creation p. 1 Introduction p. 3 On Creation, Covenant and Interdependence p. 6 Old Testament Attitudes to Nature p. 10 Man as Master over Creation p. 17 The Pre-eminence of Man p. 21 The Purpose of Creation p. 23 Christology and Creation p. 25 The Life of St Francis p. 28 Cosmic Awareness p. 34 The Problem of Pain p. 37 Introduction p. 39 On the Pains and Status of Animals p. 42 Animals Are Machines p. 45 Divine Indifference p. 52 The Pains of Animals p. 55 Explaining Animal Pain p. 62 Providence and Compassion p. 66 Theodicy and Animal Welfare p. 71 The Question of Animal Redemption p. 79 Introduction p. 81 On Afterlife and Cosmic Redemption p. 85 The Peace of the Rational Soul p. 87 The Immortality of Brutes p. 88 All Things in Christ p. 91 Beautifying the Creatures p. 93 Animals in Heaven? p. 94 Christ as the Saviour of the Universe p. 97 Speculation about Animals p. 100 The General Deliverance p. 101 Sentient Afterlife p. 104 Redemption of Other Worlds p. 106 Animal Resurrection p. 107 Reverence, Responsibilities and Rights p. 111 Introduction p. 113 On the Right Treatment of Animals p. 116 The Ethic of Reverence for Life p. 118 A Reply to Schweitzer p. 121 The Lawful Treatment of Animals p. 124 The Duty of Mercy p. 127 Animals Have No Rights p. 130 The Theos-Rights of Animals p. 131 A Critique of Animal Rights p. 137 A Reply to Griffiths p. 140 Positive and Negative Rights p. 143 Practical Issues p. 145 Introduction p. 147 On Animal Sacrifices and Killing for Food p. 152 Animal Experimentation p. 156 The Question of Vivisection p. 156 Justified Use of Animals p. 158 A Case for Abolition p. 160 Obligations to the Creator p. 165 Fur-Trapping p. 167 In Defence of Fur-Trapping p. 167 A Reply to the Bishops p. 170 Hunting for Sport p. 174 Lawful Recreations p. 174 Why Utopians Do Not Hunt p. 175 Christian Faith and the Moral Aspect of Hunting p. 176 The Right to Hunt p. 179 Intensive Farming p. 183 Ethical Issues in Intensive Farming p. 183 Animals Are Ends-in-Themselves p. 187 Justifiable Killing p. 191 Killing for Food p. 194 The First Step p. 194 Sermon on Vegetarianism p. 197 The Tyranny of Vegetarianism p. 199 Empty Gluttony p. 201 For Further Reading p. 203 Notes on Contributors p. 206