Global Visions and Common Ground: Biodemocracy, Postmodern Pressures, and the Earth Charter

Abstract

The theme of this article is a rise in notions of a planetary community, and the tensions this evokes in global-local and universal-contextual debates. The primary focus is the realization that new visions are needed to respond to ecological dilemmas in a culturally diverse yet global world and interconnected Earth. Of the many ways to discuss this, I first consider the growing interest in and expansion of biodemocracy as a way to combine these dimensions. Insights and issues from postmodern perspectives follow this, surveying the suspicion of what lurks behind "global." The next segment turns to ecological postmodernists who realize that a unifying path must be found for a viable planetary future. A brief and final section considers the Earth Charter to be an initiative responsive to postmodern pressures, and yet seeking a global vision and common ground for an emerging world community.

GOD, HUMANITY AND THE COSMOS: CHALLENGING A CHALLENGING TEXTBOOK

“…We have seen in Zygon some signs of this with a set of articles on David Clough's study of animals in theology (e.g., Fergusson ; Adam ; Clough ). With the increasing concerns about ecology, we have published various contributions on “biodemocracy and the Earth Charter” (Riley , ; Tucker ; Eaton ), climate change (Hulme ; De Witt ; Stenmark ; Moo ; Tucker ) and related topics as well.…”

After Fifty Full Years, It's Nice Not to Know

“…Others prefer apocalyptic language, to impress on us the grave threats ahead. Again others promote a new vision of our place on Earth, as articulated in evolutionary epics and in the Earth Charter (e.g., Eaton ; Riley a, b; Tucker ). Why We Disagree about Climate Change is the title of a book by Mike Hulme (), in which he considered various dimensions of this conflict.…”

Publishing in a Changing World

“…Our world is changing, so too has the landscape for “religion and science,” IRAS and Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science (see Hefner ; Peters , ). Science develops and religion is transformed under the influence of social changes (e.g., Drees , Fredericks and Schweitz ), while globalization works in many different ways (glocalization), but affects everything (e.g., Eaton ; Bagir ; Bauman ). Publishing a journal on religion and science thus has changed as well.…”