As a planetary scientist, I think that this non-anthropocentric perspective on nature could also be applied to space exploration and the prospect of space settlement. Although I am in favor of space settlement, I think too often it is viewed with a Manifest Destiny-like mindset which sees outer space as being primarily a place with resources that we can exploit. The view articulated in the book could help us see planets, asteroids, comets, and stars as inherently valuable in their own right. Planets and stars are not technically alive, but they do regulate themselves in complex ways and, in the case of stars, have homeostasis. Is it possible that our space-faring descendants may see stars and planets as beings or quasi-organisms to whom they have a divine responsibility to care for and not simply repositories of minerals and energy? Just an “out-there” thought.
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You just reminded me of a fundamentalist/YEC argument against the space program from my youth back in the late 1950s, early 1960s:
The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.
Psalm 115:16
Thanks for the podcast. I learned from all of the panelists. In particular, I appreciated the insights from Professor Lindroth on the spirit of Windigo, and how we don’t have to capitulate to a culture of consumption. This is especially challenging for us in the developed world but, with the Lord’s help, we can subdue that monster.
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That was my main takeaway from the book and podcast episode as well. That we can be beings that give and not merely ones that just take take take.
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