Father Sky and Mother Earth : ecotheology and symbolics of nature

Bibliogr. w przypisach

This essay traces some of the stages of ecotheological thought, placing special emphasis on the symbolisms of nature that mark its development, such as the archetypes of "Father Sky" and "Mother Earth". Although it is undeniable that environmentalism--including religiously motivated environmentalism--has undergone a remarkable development only in the contemporary age, that is, after the realization of the undesirable side effects of the industrial revolution, it is worth pointing out that ecotheological thought has a long history and existed before the term "ecotheology" was introduced. We will take care to show that anthropogenic environmental pollution has also been de- nounced by ancient authors. By focusing on the work of Pliny the Elder and Paul the Apostle, we intend here to highlight the presence in antiquity and the reemergence in the contemporary era of some key ideas of ecotheology.