Perspectives on Nature and Environmental Ethics in the Hebrew Bible

The contributors to this volume explore how the Hebrew Bible can inform contemporary ecological thought. In response to Lynn White Jr. 's 1967 thesis - accusing the Judeo-Christian tradition of fostering environmental degradation - they analyze key biblical texts through ecological hermeneutics, posthumanist theory, and comparative theology. Organized into three parts - Memory Studies, Comparative Studies, and Case Studies - the volume brings together perspectives from biblical studies, environmental theology, classical philosophy, and cultural memory theory. The contributors engage with texts from Genesis to the Prophets and post-exilic literature, drawing connections to Greco-Roman, Mesopotamian, and early Christian thought. They investigate diverse hermeneutical frameworks, including theocentric and geocentric interpretations, and highlight themes such as the agency of non-human creation, covenantal models involving the Earth, and poetic visions of ecological justice. These analyses reveal that the Hebrew Bible contains complex, and at times contradictory, portrayals of the human-nature relationship. The contributors to this volume advance ecological biblical interpretation and demonstrate how ancient texts can shape ethical discourses on sustainability, justice, and environmental responsibility today.