On Animals ― Theological Ethics

This volume follows on from On Animals Volume I: Systematic Theology (2012). The first volume is an ambitious attempt to re-conceive the place of animals in Christian doctrine. Here, Clough argues that Christian beliefs about other animals and their place before God have radical implications for changed practice in human dealings with other animals. Once we have discarded the widespread erroneous theological view that all non-human creatures were made to serve human needs, and recall that God is the creator and redeemer of all things, we can no longer see other animals merely as means to human ends.

Following an introduction examining the task of theological ethics in relation to animals and the way it relates to other accounts of animal ethics, the book is structured around particular topics: using other animals for food, for clothing, as research subjects, as labourers, for sport and entertainment, as pets or companions, and as the targets of environmental and conservation initiatives. Each chapter presents an overview of how humans engage with other animals in these areas of practice, before offering an ethical analysis structured by the doctrinal framework of Volume I. Clough's conclusion identifies the parameters of appropriate Christian engagement with other animals.