ARTICLE GUIDE
At a Glance
This essay examines animal welfare and human dignity through the image of God and humanity’s stewardship of creation. Engaging Paul Copan and competing ethical frameworks, it argues for humane care grounded in responsibility before the Creator.
How can human distinctiveness and humane treatment of animals be held together?
This guide introduces the argument developed in the complete article and its main lines of investigation.
Key Claims
- The study contrasts endowed human dignity with accounts of moral worth based on functional capacities.
- It examines the charge of speciesism and the philosophical basis of animal-rights arguments.
- The author argues that the imago Dei gives humanity a distinctive moral responsibility.
- Stewardship is presented as a duty of care rather than a license for cruelty or neglect.
- The essay connects creation ethics with humanity’s royal-priestly vocation and the promise of cosmic restoration.
Primary Textual Anchors
- Genesis 1:26–28; 3:15; 12:1–3
- Exodus 20:10
- Romans 11:25–29
Scripture Connections
Genesis 1:26–28; 3:15; 12:1–3; Exodus 20:10; Romans 11:25–29
Selected Scholarship
- McQuilkin, R., & Copan, P. (2014). An introduction to biblical ethics: Walking in the way of wisdom (3rd ed.). InterVarsity Press.
- Regan, T. (1983). The case for animal rights. University of California Press.
Related Guides
- The Ontological Foundations of Human Dignity: A Biblical-Theological and Philosophical Refutation of “Speciesism”
- Escaping the Machine: Theosis, Transhumanism, and the Consummation of the Promise-Plan
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