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Wendell Berry’s Christian Faith Shaped His Environmental Ethics
Confirmed
In Short: Wendell Berry’s deep-rooted Christian beliefs informed his environmental stewardship and advocacy for sustainable farming practices.
Wendell Berry’s environmental ethics were deeply rooted in his Christian faith, particularly the teachings found in Genesis, which emphasize that humans are caretakers of the Earth rather than its owners. According to Berry, this obligation is summed up in the two words 'Keep it,' reflecting a stewardship approach to the environment.
Berry’s Christian-infused agrarianism began in earnest in the 1970s and played a significant role in popularizing family-run farms, organic farming, and farm-to-table establishments. His work laid the groundwork for the modern creation care movement, which calls for environmental stewardship and repairing the harm humans have done to the environment.
Berry increasingly saw his ethic violated by the industrialization of agriculture and the dominionist theology preached by some prominent American Christians. He opposed environmentally destructive practices such as mountaintop-removal coal mining, which led to the destruction of streams and forests in his native Kentucky.
In 2011, Berry participated in a multiday sit-in protest against mining practices, stating, 'I intend to stay interested in it and involved as long as the Lord spares me.' His commitment to environmental stewardship and his Christian faith were intertwined, making him a leading advocate for sustainable practices.
Berry’s beliefs were rooted in his Christian Baptist faith, and he saw God’s plan for human life in its more 'natural' aspects. This perspective shed light on the 'nature' that theologians tell us is perfected by supernatural grace, making his message resonate with many, including Catholics who have been moved by his work despite his complicated relationship with organized religion.
Berry’s work and beliefs have had a lasting impact, forming part of a broader religious environmental movement that calls for Christians to embrace stewardship, creation spirituality, and ecojustice. His advocacy for sustainable practices and his deep-rooted Christian faith continue to inspire and guide many in their environmental efforts.
What's confirmed
- (The Conversation) — For most of his 92 years, Wendell Berry farmed his Lane’s Landing homestead in Henry County, Kentucky, using methods that embraced the land.
- You might recognize his belief system in what’s known as creation care today.
What's still developing
- There was a traffic jam of epic proportion, and people from all walks of life were turned away in disappointment from the auditorium.
- If we grasp the reason for his broad appeal, we might see why in large numbers Catholics, too, have been moved by Berry, even though he was a lifelong Baptist with a complicated relationship with organized religion and certain views at odds with Church teaching.
- Wendell Berry was a prophet of the extraordinary beauty and importance of the ordinary in human life — a reality that Catholics have particular reason to reverence as central to God’s providential plan.
- Berry made clear that losing these things, as well as regaining them, is at root a matter of choice.
- And though Berry saw his own strength in bringing to light a deeper narrative of how we have come to where we are, he also excelled in giving inspiration and direction for renewal.