About Teaching Biblical Environmentalism in a Christian Engineering Program
| Authors | Che, David C. |
|---|---|
| Date | 2022 |
| Proceedings | Proceedings of the 2022 Christian Engineering Conference |
| Place | University of Northwestern u2013 St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Vol / Pages | pp. 51-63 |
| URL | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zk6JxgxfFbPtrNm5pL_82KqepHiWG0Re/view |
Type: Conference Paper
Tags: Christian Engineering
Abstract
Environmental protection has been gaining importance and prominence in various engineering fields in recent years in the secular world, yet a biblical view of environmental protection has not always been taught or emphasized in Christian engineering programs. In Spring of 2020, a one credit-hour course Biblical Environmentalism was developed and taught for the first time at Bryan College as part of the engineering core curriculum for the newly established BSE program. In this paper, the author would like to share his experience teaching this course in Spring of 2021 (the second run of this course at Bryan College) . He first attempts to develop a “theology” of the environment using various Scripture references. Then some key components of the course are laid out with recommended pedagogy. Case studies and best practices were explored and student learning outcomes assessed. Biblical environmentalism is an important subject in our understanding of the relationship between humans and the rest of God’s creation. It provides students with some guidance on environmental impact of engineering design. It helps Christian engineers to understand that their calling to Christ’s redemptive work on earth is not only in the spiritual realm of redeeming souls but also in the natural realm of redeeming the environment we live in. The author believes that environmental ethics should be a part of engineering ethics and should be included in the undergraduate engineering curriculum.