Education Commons^™

Religious Educators: Promoting An Ecological Balance, Shane D. Lavery

Shane D Lavery

This article explores the role of religious educators in developing young people as ecologically responsive citizens. Underpinning this role is an appreciation that creation is a gift from God, that one must act as a responsible steward of creation, and that the world’s resources are to be used ethically. The article initially presents a Catholic approach to environmental concerns with particular reference to the statements of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI. It then draws on statements from the publication Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church that relate to the protection of the environment. These statements provide …