Modernity and nature
The dangers caused by our domination of nature are well known, despite new measures taken to protect it. Nature is no longer considered sacred, as it was in the medieval era, and so has lost its meaning. The resulting void caused by the disappearance of this indispensable aspect of human existence continues to exist within our souls and manifests itself in many ways, sometimes violently and desperately.
his domination of nature is largely responsible for many problems, among them urban sprawl and congestion, the exhaustion of natural resources, the destruction of natural beauty, and the abnormal rise in mental illnesses. And this, together with giving our animalistic tendencies complete freedom, has made the problem of war so crucial.
Our present encounter with nature, as well as its associated problems, carry within themselves elements connected with the Christian civilization of the Middle Ages. When Christianity came to replace or save the civilization of Antiquity, it found itself in a world dominated by naturalism, empiricism, and rationalism. Human knowledge gradually became sanctified, and the Church considered giving such attention to nature to be a blasphemy blinding people to the vision of God. As a result, the Church opposed this naturalism and emphasized the boundary between the supernatural and the natural. Theologians neglected nature’s theological and spiritual significance because they believed that nature had nothing to teach humanity about God, and therefore it had no theological and spiritual significance.
Although some Western writers such as W. Temple, claim that Christianity and science have a close relationship because Christianity, as the most avowedly materialist great religion, can dominate matter, in fact, Christianity has shown a certain negligence regarding knowledge and certainty. The Renaissance ushered in endless controversies between the Church and science. Moreover, due to the Church’s opposition to human reason and knowledge, as well as its depriving nature of its spiritual significance, modern science developed as a fatal instrument in materialistic hands.
The dangers caused by our domination of nature are well known, despite new measures taken to protect it. Nature is no longer considered sacred, as it was in the medieval era, and so has lost its meaning. The resulting void caused by the disappearance of this indispensable aspect of human existence continues to exist within our souls and manifests itself in many ways, sometimes violently and desperately.
his domination of nature is largely responsible for many problems, among them urban sprawl and congestion, the exhaustion of natural resources, the destruction of natural beauty, and the abnormal rise in mental illnesses. And this, together with giving our animalistic tendencies complete freedom, has made the problem of war so crucial.
Our present encounter with nature, as well as its associated problems, carry within themselves elements connected with the Christian civilization of the Middle Ages. When Christianity came to replace or save the civilization of Antiquity, it found itself in a world dominated by naturalism, empiricism, and rationalism. Human knowledge gradually became sanctified, and the Church considered giving such attention to nature to be a blasphemy blinding people to the vision of God. As a result, the Church opposed this naturalism and emphasized the boundary between the supernatural and the natural. Theologians neglected nature’s theological and spiritual significance because they believed that nature had nothing to teach humanity about God, and therefore it had no theological and spiritual significance.
Although some Western writers such as W. Temple, claim that Christianity and science have a close relationship because Christianity, as the most avowedly materialist great religion, can dominate matter, in fact, Christianity has shown a certain negligence regarding knowledge and certainty. The Renaissance ushered in endless controversies between the Church and science. Moreover, due to the Church’s opposition to human reason and knowledge, as well as its depriving nature of its spiritual significance, modern science developed as a fatal instrument in materialistic hands.
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