Peter Green

Duke University

Violence toward Mother Earth: An ecological reading of the Cain and Abel narrative in Genesis 4



Biography

Peter Green is currently a ThM student at Duke University with a particular interest in theology and the arts. This interest includes apocalyptic theology, philosophy of art and the 20th century. His current study has a particular attention to the intersection of Wassily Kandinsky and apocalyptic theology. In his free time, he enjoys music, visual arts, and exploring new places with his wife and best friend, Julie.

Paper Abstract

This paper considers the Cain and Abel narrative of Genesis 4 with particular attention to reading the human-on-human perpetration of violence with an ecological hermeneutic. It will demonstrate this by examining the participative roles of the blood (as the active voice) and the earth (as the agent providing a mouth for the voice of the blood) in Genesis 4:10-11 as a singular voice. Once this is established, the retributive cry that comes forth from the blood and earth will be placed in a conversation beyond the typical human-on-human violence by including the "curse" placed on the ground before Cain. Violence is therefore shown to be emphatically intertwined between humanity and the earth; violence toward humanity is violence toward the earth. Ultimately, this eco- hermeneutic of Genesis 4 will help situate the narrative in the anthropocene conversation by discussing the relationship between violence and the ecological crisis.