Chapter 19
Faith and a Sustainable Pacific
Clive W. Ayre
Abstract The serious threats generated by Climate Change in the Pacific region
highlight a much wider global threat which inevitably raises questions about our
approach and response as Christians. This paper is based on a Christian ecotheological frame of reference and posits that our response must not merely be pragmatic,
for Christian mission is inevitably based on the nature and theology of the Church.
Ecotheology is a recognition that the care of creation is an essential part of our calling
and implies an ecomissiology. Our approach to God’s creation is also expressed in the
theme of the covenant between God and all life. We are not required to act alone or
simply in our own denomination, but in partnership with others who have a concern
for the environment; that includes climate scientists, political leaders, and followers
of other religions. In order to relate the theoretical and the practical, it is necessary to
gain some understanding of the ecological and sustainability threats faced by Pacific
Islanders. A brief summary of the history of Christian mission in the pacific will
also provide some context. Thus, the theological, cultural, and ecological aspects
provide the essential context for faith-based opportunities in mission. Importantly,
the concerns and actions of the Pacific Churches need to be noted. The paper will
conclude with a summary of faith-based opportunities on behalf of a sustainable
Pacific.
Introduction
In recent years, and in different parts of the world, there have been unprecedented
and well-publicised disasters such as fires and floods, or even the melting of polar ice.
Many of those events have been beyond the coping capacity of the people immediately
involved; the cost in financial terms, in the loss of life and of wildlife, has been
enormous. The response of both humans and animals during these crises suggests
that while it is true that different species tend to prey on one another, most of the
evidence points to the inter-connectedness of life.
C. W. Ayre (B)
University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. M. Luetz and P. D. Nunn (eds.), Beyond Belief, Climate Change Management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67602-5_19
377
Faith and a Sustainable Pacific
Clive W. Ayre
Abstract The serious threats generated by Climate Change in the Pacific region
highlight a much wider global threat which inevitably raises questions about our
approach and response as Christians. This paper is based on a Christian ecotheological frame of reference and posits that our response must not merely be pragmatic,
for Christian mission is inevitably based on the nature and theology of the Church.
Ecotheology is a recognition that the care of creation is an essential part of our calling
and implies an ecomissiology. Our approach to God’s creation is also expressed in the
theme of the covenant between God and all life. We are not required to act alone or
simply in our own denomination, but in partnership with others who have a concern
for the environment; that includes climate scientists, political leaders, and followers
of other religions. In order to relate the theoretical and the practical, it is necessary to
gain some understanding of the ecological and sustainability threats faced by Pacific
Islanders. A brief summary of the history of Christian mission in the pacific will
also provide some context. Thus, the theological, cultural, and ecological aspects
provide the essential context for faith-based opportunities in mission. Importantly,
the concerns and actions of the Pacific Churches need to be noted. The paper will
conclude with a summary of faith-based opportunities on behalf of a sustainable
Pacific.
Introduction
In recent years, and in different parts of the world, there have been unprecedented
and well-publicised disasters such as fires and floods, or even the melting of polar ice.
Many of those events have been beyond the coping capacity of the people immediately
involved; the cost in financial terms, in the loss of life and of wildlife, has been
enormous. The response of both humans and animals during these crises suggests
that while it is true that different species tend to prey on one another, most of the
evidence points to the inter-connectedness of life.
C. W. Ayre (B)
University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. M. Luetz and P. D. Nunn (eds.), Beyond Belief, Climate Change Management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67602-5_19
377