ABSTRACT
This chapter will outline the distinction between anthropocentricity and theocentricity within Christian theological traditions. The chapter begins with classic critiques of Christian anthropocentrism, tracing the argument that the creation stories of Genesis endorse and even advocate for humanity’s exploitation of the natural world, including other than human animals. Particular attention is paid to Christian understandings of the concepts of dominion and of the imago Dei and the way these ideas have been used historically to justify the exploitation of other animals. The chapter then turns to examine alternative understandings of these same theological concepts, beginning with the theocentric notion of stewardship as popularized by ecotheologians and finishing with the theologies of priesthood and relationality as they appear in the work of contemporary animal theologians. The chapter asks how a view of other animals as resources to be used for the furtherance of human flourishing, imbued only with instrumental value, compares with a view of animals as fellow creatures and religious subjects in their own right, imbued with intrinsic value. How does what Christians believe about who animals are impact the way the Church treats them and the kinds of practices it deems permissible?
