Agriculture Reference
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examples may seem to some a tentative fit for contemporary systems of control,
regulation, and production, they also suggest a corrective to the sort of hubris that
desires human control of everything; such an impulse to control, whether through
simple or complex means, may perennially need adjustment if stewardship ethics are
to be realized. Such an ethic of trusting divine or communal provision rather than
controlling all means of production to assure unflinching yields suggests an ethos
that empowers individuals and communities to live within the earth's means, operat-
ing in concert with natural systems rather than trying to live over the top of them.
The integrated indigenous systems whose long-term success commends them as
models for sustainability and the emerging programs that seek to integrate religious
sensibilities in local land use practice may therefore model an embrace of human
limitations. Given the complexity of the issues we face today, and the mathematical
certainty that every input of complex systems cannot be controlled nor every output
predicted, adding such humility into the balance may be the better part of wisdom.
12.6 CONCLUSION
Religion is no panacea or universal solution to soil stewardship issues, but to the
extent that religion plays a role in shaping the lives and behaviors and cultures of
humans, to understand and connect with resonant religious and spiritual values
and traditions is important if soil stewardship is to be adopted by the mass of peo-
ple. While religious and theological elements can thus be a key to soil stewardship,
they still require integration with good science and policy to be most fruitful—nega-
tive legacies can just as easily arise if this balance is not achieved, particularly given
the complexity of pressures impacting soils today.
Some may still be tempted to believe that science alone (or at least without reli-
gion) will suffice to achieve soil stewardship. Scientists often tend to think that facts
about “what is going on” will lead to policies and actions to correct problems such as
soil quality, but as philosopher Kathleen Dean Moore (2010) has emphasized, this is
a logical error—intervening values are needed upon which people can make use of
facts in guiding their choices, behavior, communities, and polities; indeed, such val-
ues are what cultures and religions are uniquely equipped to express and maintain.
As such, further attention to religious and theological dimensions of soil stewardship
can be a key complement to the work of soil scientists.
At the same time, religious communities need the insights of soil science to apply
their beliefs and values in redeeming, enlightening, peaceful, and just ways. When the
authors of the Hebrew Bible command adherents to follow God's laws (Lv 26:3-5),
in the context of a covenant between humans, the divine, and the land, the promise is
conditional. If the people follow these tenets, they will live long in the land and will
enjoy abundant harvests. But if not, all bets are off (Lv 26:14-16,19-20). In the context
of the unprecedented pressure on soil resources and ecosystem services on a planet of
7 billion people, this ancient synergy between sustainability and faithful adherence to
principles offers strong help, and if such cultural, spiritual, and religious resources can
complement scientifically derived best practices, be informed by good soil science,
and reinforce a tradition of soil stewardship to meet the complex challenges of the
present, perhaps prospects for sustainable soil management have a prayer.
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