GENDER EQUALITY THROUGH THE PRISM OF ECOLOGICAL VIRTUES IN LAUDATO SI
Keywords:
Care, Ecological Conversion, Equality, Interconnectedness, Integral Ecology, Justice, Respect, VirtueAbstract
Because of the natural nexus between women and nature, the interconnection between ecological crisis and gender discrimination is a subject matter of many studies and analysis. This paper aims to facilitate a discussion on gender equality through the prism of ecological virtues elucidated in the encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato Si (LS), in which the Pope calls for a 'holistic ethic' and 'ecological integrity' that insists the dignity of human as well as non-human world. He further makes a pledge for a new dialogue for 'the shaping of the future of our planet, wherein we have to enter into conversation that would include every one' (LS 14), including non-human creatures and ecosystems (LS 118, 140). It further invites us to review and renew the current misguided anthropocentric and patriarchal paradigm with a broader vision of common good wherein the intrinsic value of nature is recognized and respected paying special care and attention to small and little beings including women, children and indigenous people. The type of ecological conversion prompts us to be driven by a desire to become better, more compassionate people, rather than by a feeling that we ought to do our bit for the environment and the oppressed people.
References
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 2 (10.08.2016).
<http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html>.
Saji Mathew Kanayankal CST, "Healing the Wounds: Gender Discrimination, Ecological Crisis and Shifting Paradigms," Gender Justice in the Church and Society, ed., Shaji George Kochuthara, CMI, Bangalore: Dharmaram Publications, 2016, 360-375.
Jim Leffel, "Engineering Life: Defining : "Humanity" in a Post-modern Age," XENOS Christian Fellow Ship, <http://www.xenos.org/ essays/engineering-life-defining-humanity-postmodern-age> (20.8.2016).
Leornardo Boff, Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor, trans. Philip Berryman, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1997, xii.
Aruna Gnanadasan, "Towards a Ecofeminst Eco-theology for India," in A Reader in Feminist Theology, ed., Prasanna Kumari, Madras: Gurukul Publication, 1993, 98.
Sallie McFague, A New Climate for Theology: God, the World and Global Warming, Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2008, 44.
Celia E. Deane-Drummond, The Ethics of Nature, Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2004, 90-92.
Norman Wirzba, The Paradise of God: Renewing Religion in an Ecological Age, New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2003, 69.
Lynn White Jr., "The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis," in Readings in Ecology and Feminist Theology, ed., Mary Heather MacKinnon and Moni McIntyre, Kansas City: Sheed and Ward, 1995, 25-35. This article is originally published in Science 155 (1967): 1203-7.
International Alliance of Women, "Gender, Economic, Social and Ecological Justice for Sustainable Development – A Feminist Declaration for Post 2015," <http://womenalliance.org/gendereconomic-social-and-ecological-justice-for-sustainable-development-afeminist-declaration-for-post-2015> (26.07.2016).
Henry Longbottom SJ, "Duty Free? Virtue Ethics in Laudato Si," in Thinking Faith, <http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/duty-freevirtue-ethics-laudato-si%E2%80%99> (30.08.2016).
Kevin J. O'nil C.Ss.R and Peter Black C.Ss.R, The Essential Moral Handbook: A Guide to Catholic Living, Bangalore: Asian Trade Cooperation, 2006, 32.
Rhodel N. National, "Virtue Ecology: An Ecological Praxis in the Philippine Context", Doing Asian Theological Ethics in a Cross Cultural and an Interreligious Context, eds., Yiu Sing Lucas Chan, James F. Keenan and Shaji Kochuthara, Bengaluru: Dharmaram Publications, 2016, 217.
Ronald L. Sandler, Character and Environment: A Virtue-Orientated Approach to Environmental Ethics, New York: Columbia University Press, 2009, 2; cited in, Longbottom, "Duty Free? Virtue Ethics in Laudato Si".
David E. DeCosse and Brian Patrick Green, "Ethics and Pope Francis's Encyclical Letter Laudato Si": A Teaching Module, Sancta Clara University, <https://www.scu.edu/media/ethics-center/ environmental-ethics/encyclical-instructors.pdf> (25.07.2016).
Mathew J. Ramage, "Integral Ecology and the Ecological Virtues in Pope Francis's Laudato Si", <http://www.hprweb.com/2015/11/ integral-ecology-and-the-ecological-virtues-in-pope-franciss-laudatosi/> (26.07.2016).
The Earth Bible Team, "Guiding Ecojustice Principles," in Reading from the Perspective of Earth, ed., Normen C. Habel, The Earth Bible 1, Sheffield: Academic Press, 2000, 44.
Steven Knepper, "Pope Francis and Humane Ecology," <http://iasc-culture.org/THR/channels/THR/2015/07/pope-francisand-humane-ecology/> (15.08.2016).
Nicholas Collura, "The Liberation Methodology of Laudato Si," National Catholic Reporter, Jan 21, 2015, <https://www.ncr online.org/blogs/eco-catholic/liberation-methodology-laudato-si> (15.8, 2016).
John Hart, Sacramental Commons: Christian Ecological Ethics, Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, INC., 2000, 124.
Celia Deane-Drummond, "Living from the Sabbath: Developing an Ecological Theology in the Context of Biodiversity," Interface 7, no. 1 (Spring 2004), 4.
Christopher J. Thomson, "The Treasure of Laudato Si," in Clear Thinking Contemporary Issues Principles <http://www.getprinciples. com/the-treasure-of-laudato-si/> (26.08.2016).
Stephen J. Pope, Human Evolution and Christian Ethics, New Studies in Christian Ethics 28, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007, 205.
James A. Gustafson, Ethics from a Theocentric Perspective: Ethics and Theology, vol. 2, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1984, 45.
Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon, "Ecological Asceticism: A Cultural Revolution," Sourozh: A Journal of Orthodox Life and Thought, no. 67 (February 1997), 24.
Hilary Marlow, Biblical Prophets and Contemporary Environmental Ethics: Re-reading Amos, Hosea and First Isaiah, Oxford: University Press, 2015, 257.
