Dr. Michael McGrann, chair of Jessup's Institute of Biodiveristy and the Environment, joins Mark and Rex for part two of their series on theology and environmentalism. Dr. McGrann helps them understand how science and faith teach us the interdependence of all creation which provides a foundation to build an environmental ethic.

TRANSCRIPT

0:00

Welcome to Jessup think I'm your host Mark Moore and your co host Rex Gurney. And Rex today on the show, we have a scientist on the shining. On the nose with john Hess. We have Dr. Michael mcgrann. He's the chair of the Institute for biodiversity in the environment here at Jessup and associate professor. And he's coming on for part two of our conversation had a theologian on theologian we're trying to kind to cover our bases. That's right. And we're looking at how theology influences our environmental ethic, or at least how our theology should influence our environmental ethic. I think you're gonna like where the show head last time we were on the end of the story, this time we look at the beginning of the story and how that affects our role in being stewards and caretakers of this earth. We try to cover all the bases Jessup things.

0:55

All right, Michael. Well, thank you for being on the show. First time on the show. Yeah. And we're excited to have you Rex. Here's got some some questions he's gonna pepper you with. So all right. It's good to have a scientist on the show. This is

1:09

finally some of the notes for the

1:12

week. Oh, yeah. All these Biblical Studies theology. Get your finger to get your hands in the dirt.

1:20

Yep, I get my hands dirty. My boots dirty. Yeah, exactly. That's

1:23

great. And this is, this is kind of our follow up. Right. So it's part two to kind of this idea of, of how theology affects our environmental ethic. Right, you know, and kind of in last episode, we had Dr. Matt gotcha on kind of New Testament and theologian, and he's worked with you on the environmental ethics class, and even some environmental ethics committee are in that and so we knew we wanted to have you on as a voice to kind of help us maybe see the conversation to from a different light brother from the lens of a scientist. We're multidisciplinary heroes. Yeah, all good education. Exactly. That's right. podcast me and by as right. And so we kind of looked at, at how theology affects our environment, I think, but we mostly looked at kind of eschatology, right, so our interpretation of the end of the story. Yeah. And in my conversation with you, I know we've talked a lot about then origins, right, right, how the story began. And something we we said last on the last episode, was that how you interpret the beginning of the story and how you interpret the end of the story really affects how you live out the story.

2:36

Right? I would say that, yeah, perhaps your last conversation, you're focusing at the end of the story, but really, in our environmental ethic is weaved throughout all of Scripture, the entire story, right? Yeah, that's starting starting at the beginning. With Genesis, and I think, I think, you know, having, or coming to terms with origins as a scientist, I think is essential to doing good science, especially as an ecologist, as an environmental scientist, as a biologist, but also as a believer in the Bible as a follower of Jesus, to come to terms with, you know, an interpretation of Genesis that frees me up as a scientist to do the science, the science that impacts decision making, and to follow the science wherever it may lead, because that's what science does. That's what science does. Right? Science is supposed to be an objective process. Yeah. And revisionary based form of learning and don't give you just right, or deducted from there. Yes, yeah.

3:46

Yeah. Well, in the in the, you've highlighted this before, to that revisionary aspect of science, right there. Science is not, is not coming in and saying this is maybe the only way, but