Farming in crisis and the voice of silence— a response to David Atkinson

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In considering the role of religious assumptions in making environmental decisions in agriculture, the idea of sabbath is proposed as offering a radical critique of the present agricultural situation and a robust, holistic basis for agricultural ethics. The sabbath, with its emphasis on restraint, including in the use of the land, complements stewardship, which emphasises care and responsibility. In the current farming crisis, the sabbath urges us to recognise and respect both people and the earth, to subordinate the pursuit of private wealth to meeting the needs of the poor and vulnerable, and to restrain the concentration of power and control.