Lynn White Jr. and the Origin of Care for God’s Creation in the World Council of Churches

Jusepe de Ribera, ‘St. Francis of Assisi’, 1642, 200cm x 162 cm, oil on canvas, Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Francis_of_Assisi_by_Jusepe_de_Ribera.jpg

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‘Oku ‘ilo ‘e he kau Kalisitiané ‘a e fatongia ‘o e kau palōfita ‘i he Fuakava Motu‘á pea me he hisitōlia ‘o e Siasí. Na’e ui ‘e he ‘Otua e kau Palōfitá ‘i he ngaahi kuonga/vaa‘i taimi pau ke nau lea ki he ngaahi palopalema kehekehe pe. Na‘e pukepuke ‘e kau Palōfitá ‘a e ngaahi fatongia kehekehe, ‘o kau ai ‘enau hoko ko e kau matāpule ma ‘a e ‘Otuá ‘o fakafou ‘i hono vahevahe ‘o e ngaahi fekau kuo fakamānava‘i, kikite‘i ‘o e ngaahi me‘a ‘i he kaha‘ú, malanga‘i e ngaahi fekau fakalotolahi ‘a e ‘Otuá, kikite, tala ‘o e finangalo ‘a e ‘Otua ki he kakai, ‘o nau hoko foki ko e kau taki fakamōlalé/poto mo e kau fakaanga/fakafepaki/fakalelei ‘o ‘enau ngaahi sōsaietí.^[1] Neongo na‘e ‘iloa e kau Palōfitá ki hono talaki ‘o e ngaahi fekau tala fakatu‘utāmaki mo ha fakaevaha ‘oku tu‘unukumai, na‘a nau ‘ave foki mo e ngaahi fekau fakalotolahi mo e ‘amanaki lelei ki he kakai ‘a e ‘Otuá. ‘Oku ou taukave ko e tokotaha tohi hisitōlia ko ‘Amelika ko Lynn T. White Jr. ko e pālofita ‘o e palopalema faka‘ātakaí ‘i he 1960 tupú. Ko ‘ene fuofua ngāue na’e tupu mei ai ‘a hono tokangaekina e fakatupu ‘a e ‘Otuá ‘i he Kōsilio ‘o e ngaahi Siasi ‘o Māmaní (WCC).

Ko e hisitōlia ‘o e tokangaekina ‘o e ‘ātakai ‘i he malumalu ‘o e WCC, ‘oku malava ke ‘ilo hono tupu’anga mei he ngaahi tali kehekehe ki he tohi ‘iloa ‘a White, “Ko e ngaahi Aka Fakahisitōlia ‘o ‘etau ngaahi Palopalema Faka‘ātakai”, ‘i he 1967.^[2] Na‘e pehē ‘e White ko e palopalema faka‘ātakaí na‘e ‘i ai ‘a hono ngaahi aka fakalotu, ‘a ia ‘oku fekau‘aki ia mo e fakakaukau Kalisitiane faka-Uēsite fuoloa ‘oku pehē, ‘oku pulefakaleveleva ‘a e fa‘ahinga e tangatá ki natula. Na‘e kau lahi e tohi ‘a White ki hono fakae‘a ‘a e lahi fau e ngaahi ‘ulungaanga mo e ngaahi fakakaukau faka-Kalisitiane ‘oku ne fakatupunga e maumau ki he ‘ātakaí, mo hono teke ‘a e ngaahi kautaha ‘i loto mo e vaha‘a ‘o e ngaahi siasí ke nau fefa‘uhi mo e tukulaumea ko ‘ení, mo e founga ke nau fakalakalaka ai kimu‘a. ‘I he kongatohi ko ‘ení, te u fakafehokotaki ai ‘a e ngāue faka‘atamai ki he hisitōlia ‘o e feliuliuaki e ‘eá ki he tali ‘a e Kōsilio e ngaahi Siasi ‘o Māmani (WCC) ‘i he kuohilí mo e lolotongá ki he palopalema ‘o e feliuliuaki ‘a e‘eá.

Na‘e fu‘u manakoa ‘a e ngāue ‘a White, ko e ’uhinga lahi pē, ko e lahi fau ‘a e tūkunga na‘e paaki aí: ko e tupulekina ‘o e ngaahi fetu‘utaki fakasaienisi fekau‘aki mo e ngaahi ola ‘o e ngāueta‘efakapotopoto ‘a e fa‘ahinga e tangatá ki he ‘ātakaí, ‘a ia na‘e hoko ‘o fu‘u e‘a ‘i he 1960 tupú, fakataha mo e hokohoko e ngaahi maumau faka‘ātakai lalahi na‘e ‘ikai toe lava ke fakaikai‘i. ‘I ‘Amelika, ke fakatātā‘aki, na‘e ‘i ai ‘a e mafolalahi ‘o e kohutamaki ‘i he Kolomu‘a Niu ‘Ioké mo Losi ‘Enisela, mahua ‘a e lolo lahi ‘i Sanita Pāpulā ‘i Fēpueli 1969, mo e ngaahi vela ‘i he Vaitafe Kuāhoukā ‘i Sune ‘o e ta‘u tatau. Ko e kotoa e ngaahi fakatamaki ko ‘ení na‘a ne tohoaki‘i e tokanga ‘a e kakaí ‘o ‘Amelila ‘o fakafou he ngaahi fakamatala ongoongó, ‘o ne fakatupu ‘a e fakatokanga mo e hoha‘a.^[3]

Tānaki atu ki he ngaahi ‘iveni ko ‘ení, ‘a e hokohoko ‘o e ngaahi tohi ‘iloa na‘e paaki ‘o tohoaki’i e tokanga ‘a e kakai. Ko e tohi ‘a Rachel Carson ‘i he 1962 Silent Spring na‘a ne tukuaki‘i e ngāue‘anga kemikalé ‘i hono tukuatu e fakamatalahala ki he kakaí, fūfū‘i e mo‘oni fekau‘aki mo e nunu‘a fakatu‘utāmaki ‘o e DDT (faito‘okona fakangoue) ki he ‘ātakaí. Na‘e toe tukuaki‘i foki ‘e Carson ‘a e kau ‘ofisiale fakapule‘angá ‘i hono faka‘atā e kemipeini fakamāketi ‘a e ngāue‘anga kemikalé kae ‘ikai ke toe fehu‘ia.^[4] Ko e tohi ‘a Paul Ehrlich The Population Bomb, na‘e fuofua paaki ‘i he 1968 pea na‘a ne fakafehokotaki ai ‘a e ngaahi ‘iveni faka‘ātakai faka‘aufuli mo hono ngāue ta‘efakapotopoto‘aki ‘e he fa‘ahinga e tangata e ‘ātakaí, ‘o tokoni‘i e kakaí ke nau lāu‘ilo ‘a e ngaahi palopalema ko ‘ení ‘oku nau felālāve‘i kotoa pē. Fakatātā‘aki ‘eni, ko e tupu vave ‘o e tokolahi e kakaí ‘oku ne hiki hake ai pē ‘a e ngaahi fiema‘u ki he ngaahi koloa ‘oku fakangatangata, ‘o‘oku fakaiku ai ki he ngaahi tu‘utu‘uni fakavalevale ki he anga hono ngāue‘aki ‘o e ngaahi koloá. Ko e ngaahi ‘iveni faka‘ātakai kuo ne ‘ākilotoa e kakaí, fakataha mo e lelei e fakafetu‘utaki atu ‘o e ngaahi tohi fekau‘aki mo e ‘ātakaí, ‘o ne ue‘i e kakai ‘o ‘Ameliká ke nau uingaki ‘a e liliú.^[5] This spread to other countries as well.

Na‘e hanga ‘e he tohi ‘a White ‘o fakataumai e ‘ulungaanga ta‘efakapotopoto na‘e fakamatala‘i ‘i he ngāue ‘a Carson mo Ehrlich ki he ngaahi talanoa fakatupu ‘o e Lotu faka-Kalisitiané, ‘o hangē ko Senesi 2, ‘a ia ‘oku ne tala ai ko e fa‘ahinga e tangatá ‘a e senitā ‘o e fakatupú, kae tukuhifo ‘a natula ia ki he fatongia ko e poupou pē ki he fa‘ahinga ‘o e tangatá. Fakatatau ki he kau ‘ikolosia tokolahi na‘a nau toki fa‘utohi kimui mai ‘ia White, koe‘uhī ko e fa‘ahinga tui faka-Kalisitiane ko ‘eni, kuo hanga ai ‘e he kau Kalisitiané ‘o ngāue ta‘efakapotopoto‘aki ‘a natula ki he‘enau ngaahi tānakilelei siokita pea maumau lahi kuo ki he ‘ātakaí mo e ngaahi me‘a mo‘ui kehé.^[6] ‘Oku fu‘u fehangahangai ‘aupito ‘eni ia mo e kakai tu‘ufonua tokolahi—‘o kau ai e kau Tongá—mo ‘enau ngaahi tui mo e angafai kimu‘a ‘enau fengāue‘aki mo e kau Kalisitiane misinale mei ‘Iulopé. Na‘e tui e kau Tongá ‘i he fekaukau‘aki mo e taha ‘o e fakatupú, pea ko e fa‘ahinga e tangatá ko e konga pē, kae ‘ikai ko e senitā ia ‘o e fakatupú. Te tau toki hoko atu ki he talanoa ‘o e tali ‘a e ngaahi siasí ‘i Tonga ki he feliuliuaki ‘o e ‘eá ‘i ha konga tohi ‘amuiange.

Na‘e fokotu‘u ‘e White kuo pau ke toe vakai‘i ‘e he lotu faka-Kalisitiané ‘ene ngaahi makatu‘ungamahu‘ingá mo e ngaahi tuí kae lava ke ma‘u ha ngaahi founga fo‘ou ke mahino ‘a e vāfekau‘aki ‘i he vaha‘a ‘o e fa’ahinga e tangatá mo e ‘ātakaí. ‘Oku kau heni ‘a e fiema‘u ki he lotu faka-Kalisitiané ke liliu ‘a e fa‘ahinga teolosia ‘a ē ‘oku ne tala ‘oku pule fakaleveleva e fa‘ahinga ‘o e tangatá ki natula. Neongo e tukuaki‘i mālohi ‘e White ‘a e Lotu Kalisitiane faka-Uesité ki he ngaahi aka ‘o e palopalema faka‘ātakaí, na‘e ‘ikai hanga ‘e he‘ene pepa ‘o tukuange ‘a e tui faka-Kalisitiané. ‘O hangē ko ‘ene taukavé, “Koe‘uhī ko e kongalahi ‘o e ngaahi aka ‘o hotau faingata‘a‘iá ‘oku fakalotu, ko e faito‘o ki aí kuo pau ke fakalotu ‘a hono uhó.”^[7] Na‘e fokotu‘u mai leva ‘e White ha ngaahi founga ‘e ala ngāue‘aki ‘e he kau Kalisitiané. Fakatātā‘aki eni, ‘oku fiema‘u ke toe vakai‘i ‘e he kau Kalisitiané ‘a e ngaahi makatu‘ungamahu‘ingá mo e ngaahi tui ‘a ē ‘oku ne tokangaekina e ‘ātakaí—hangē ko hono fakatolonga, faka‘apa‘apa‘i mo malu‘i e fakatupu ‘a e ‘Otuá (Sen 2:15; Saam 24:1)—pea fai e langá ‘i he ngaahi tafa‘aki ko iá. Ko e fakatātā ‘e taha, ko e molomolomuiva‘e ‘ia Sanita Falanisisi ‘o ‘Āsisí, tautautefito ki he‘ene tokangaekina ‘a natulá.^[8]

‘I he ta‘u ‘e nimangofulu kuohilí, kuo tokolahi e fa‘ahinga kuo fai ‘enau lau ki he tohi ‘a White, ‘o tatau ‘i hono poupou‘i mo hono fakafepaki‘i ‘a ‘ene taukavé. ‘I he fakamāmanilahí, kuo tataki ‘e he ngaahi laauleá ha ngaahi liliu ‘i he ngaahi fungavaka kehekehe ‘o e ngaahi siasí; neongo kuo fakatahataha e kau ‘Ingilaní/‘Episikopeliané ‘i hono poupoua e tokangaekina ‘o e ‘ataki, ka ko e ngaahi fungavaka kehe ‘o e siasí (e.g. Penitekosi mo e ‘Evalgelio) kuo nau fakafefeka‘i ‘enau fakafepaki ki he tokangakina ‘o e’atakai. ‘Oku ‘i ai foki mo e ngaahi siasi ‘oku ‘ikai te nau tali ‘e kinautolu ‘oku mo‘oni ‘a e feliuliuaki e ‘eá, pea ‘oku toe ‘i ai pē mo e fa’ahinga ‘oku nau toe siofi ‘enau teolosia faka-Kalisitiané mo e ngaahi ‘ulungaanga-tu‘ufonua ‘o e ngaahi feitu‘u ‘oku nau tu‘u aí. Neongo ‘a e tu’u kehekehe ‘a e ngaahi siasí fekau’aki mo e feliuliuaki ‘o e ‘eá, ‘oku mahu‘inga ke fakamamafa’i ‘a e hanga ‘e he fekau fakapalōfita ‘a White ‘o ne fakahoko ha liliu mahu‘inga ki he ngaahi siasí mo e anga ‘enau vakai ki he ‘ātakaí, ‘i he ngaahi ta‘u ‘e onongofulu kuohilí.

Ko e ngaahi solova‘anga na‘e fokotu‘u ‘e White ‘i he‘ene ngaahi palōfisaí kuo lahi ‘a hono to’o ko e fakatokanga, pea ko hono fakafelāve‘i ‘o e Kalisitiané mo e ngaahi teolosia faka‘ātakaí kuo tala ‘oku mahu‘inga, ‘o hangē ‘oku ‘asi he founga kuo ngāue‘aki ‘e he Kōsilio ‘o e ngaahi Siasi ‘o Māmaní (WCC). Ko e WCC ‘oku fa‘u‘aki ‘a e tokolahi taha ‘o e ngaahi siasi ‘Ofokosi ‘o māmaní (Hahake mo ‘Esia), ‘Afilika ‘Inisitiueti, ‘Ingilani, ‘Āsilia, Papitaiso, ‘Evalngelio, Lutelo, Menonaite, Metotisi, Molāvia, Katolika-Motu‘a, Penitekosi, Lifoomu, ‘Iunaite/‘Iunaitieti mo e ngaahi siasi Tau‘atāina, Kau Tisaipale ‘o Kalaisi mo e Felenite (Kueki). Ko e hisitōlia lōloa ‘o e WCC, talu mei he 1960 tupu ki he ‘ahó ni, ‘a ‘enau tokangaekina ‘a e mo‘ui lelei ‘o e fa‘ahinga e tangatá mo e ‘ātakaí, tautautefito ki he‘ene ngaahi hoha‘a fekau’aki mo e ngaahi tesi me‘atau faka‘ātomí mo hono fakatupulekiná. ‘I he kongalahi ‘o e hisitōlia ‘o e WCC, kuo ne takimu‘a ‘i kaluseti ke teke ke ta’ofi e ngaue’aki e me‘ataú. Ko e tokangaekina ‘ae ‘atakai ‘e he WCC kuo faka‘ai‘ai mo poupou‘i ‘i he ngaahi ta‘ú lahi ‘o fakafou mai ‘i hono kau mēmipa siasi ‘i he kolopé. Kuo hoko ‘a e misiona faka‘eukamenikale, fakamaautotonu fakasōsiale, ngaahi palopalema faka‘ātakaí mo e ngaahi ‘īsiu kehe kuo ne iku ki hono fa‘u ‘o e Konifelenisi ‘o e ngaahi Siasi ‘i he Pasifikí (PCC), ‘o hoko ko e konga ‘o e WCC pea mo hono ngaahi sino pulé ‘i he kongalotoloto ‘o e 1960 tupú, ‘a ia ko e kaveinga eni ‘o e konga tohi hokó. Pea neongo ‘ene ngaahi talamālie ‘oku ne tokangaekina e ‘ātakaí, te tau toki sio ‘i he konga tohi hokó, ki he tali ‘a e WCC ki he ngaahi paolpalema faka‘ātakaí talu ‘ene kamata mai, ‘oku kei fakangatangata pē ia ki he ngaahi talatalanoa mo e ngaahi fono, ka ‘oku te‘eki ke ‘i ai ha ngaahi ngāue sino ha mai ke tau siomata ‘oku hoko he fonuá.

Translated by Rev. Dr. Laiseni Liava’a and Dr. 'Alaimaluloa Toetu'u-Tamihere

This is the second in a series of four posts. Click here for the first post: A History of Care for God’s Creation within the Church: It’s Time to Walk the Walk! Click here for the third post: The Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) and Practical Initiatives Addressing the Climate Crisis. Click here for the fourth post: Churches and Climate Change in Tonga: A Real Measure of the Effectiveness of Pacific Conference of Churches’ Climate Works

Footnotes

¹ Dorothy Emmet, ‘Prophets and Their Societies’, The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 86, 1 (1956), 13–23.

² Lynn T. White, Jr., ‘The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis’, Science 155 (March 1967), 1203-7.

³ Michigan in the World and the Environmental Justice HistoryLab, ‘“Environmental Crisis” in the Late 1960s · Exhibit · Give Earth a Chance: Environmental Activism in Michigan’, Projects of the U-M History Department (accessed 31 July 2024).

⁴ Rachel Carson, Silent Spring (Houghton Mifflin, 1962). For a reflection on its significance, see: Dorothy McLaughlin, ‘Silent Spring Revisited | Fooling With Nature | FRONTLINE | PBS’, n.d. (accessed 31 July 2024).

⁵ Paul Ehrlich, The Population Bomb (Ballantine Books, 1968). Further discussed in “Environmental Crisis” in the Late 1960s · Exhibit · Give Earth a Chance: Environmental Activism in Michigan’.

⁶ Paul Collins, God’s Earth: Religion as if Matter Really Mattered (A Dove Publication, 1995), 87; Peter Harrison, “Having Dominion: Genesis and the Mastery of Nature,” in R. J. Berry, ed, Environmental Stewardship: Critical Perspectives – Past and Present (T & T Clark International, 2006), 21; Thomas Sieger Derr, “Lynn White and his Magical Essay – Religion’s Responsibility for the Ecological Crisis: An Argument Run Amok”; Lisa Sideris, “Environmental Ethics, Ecological Theology and Natural Selection,” in R. J. Berry, ed., Environmental Stewardship: Critical Perspectives – Past and Present (T & T Clark International, 2006), 160, just to name a few.

⁷ White, 1207.

⁸ ibid., 1208.