Eco-Aesthetic Reading of the “Book of Genesis”

Abstract

Aim: In this article the aim is to make a reading of the Book of Genesis from an Eco-Aesthetic point of view. This study aims to explore the ecological and aesthetic dimensions embedded in the Book of Genesis. It examines how creation narratives reflect an intrinsic harmony between nature and the divine. The paper seeks to interpret Genesis through an eco-critical lens to uncover environmental consciousness within its theological framework. It also highlights the aesthetic portrayal of nature as sacred and purposeful in biblical literature.

Methodology and Approach: The Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, provides profound insights into the origins of humanity and the universe. This paper examines the text through an eco-aesthetic lens, uncovering a paradigm for harmonious existence between humans, nature, and the divine. By focusing on the relationships and ruptures described in Genesis, particularly the fall of Adam and Eve, this research explores the loss of eco-aesthetic sensibility and its implications for contemporary ecological ethics.

Outcome:  The paper highlights how the prelapsarian state exemplifies holistic integrity and communion with natural and spiritual order, advocating for a renewed eco-aesthetic awareness in human life.

Conclusion: The Book of Genesis is very much amenable to a reading from an Ecological and Aesthetic perspective creating a wonderful vision about life, humans and nature. It also adds valuable insights about the causes of the current maladies in relation to the relation between nature and man.