’n 'Groen' Israel - ekologiese rigtingwysers uit Levitikus 25:1-7?

Abstract

This article investigates the problem whether a specific text in the Old Testament gives guidelines for the ecological calling of man/woman. An overview is given of research in the ecological field by scholars in various Old Testament disciplines. A few hermeneutical pitfalls in dealing with ecology in the Old Testament are also highlighted. In the final instance an Old Testament text (Leviticus 25:1-7) is studied from which it is deduced that the Old Testament, not being an ecological text book, would rarely give an ecological principle. The Old Testament does, however, in this instance provide an ecological application of a given theological principle.