A Study On The Books Of Prophets In The Bible From The Perspective Of Ecocriticism

Composed of the Old Testament and the New Testament, with theological, historical and literary values, Bible is one of the two(the other is Greek culture) important sources of the western thoughts and civilization. Regarded as the product of the prophetic movement, the books of prophets are the second wave of canon anthology. The previous academic researches on the books of prophets primarily place emphasis on the ideological content and artistic feature. Bible has been regarded as the main ideological roots for its idea of conquering and dominating nature by some scholars. However, there exist many positive ecological ideas in Bible, especially in the books of prophets, which have often been ignored. Exploring these positive ecological ideas is very essential. This thesis will interpret the books of prophets, especially the three major ones, from the perspective of ecocriticism. It should be emphasized that there are some descriptions about the ecological crisis in the books of prophets. However, it does not mean to advocate anthropocentrism, but to imply the idea of ecological holism.This thesis consists of three chapters.Chapter One analyzes the ecological crisis in the books of prophets and discusses the motivation. It includes three aspects: the natural ecological crisis, the decay of social ecology and the split of spiritual ecology.Chapter Two elaborates on the ecological consciousness inherent in the books of prophets. It comprises two sections: one subverts the anthropocentrism from the relationship between man and nature and the intrinsic value of all creatures. The other explores the ecological harmony contained in the books of prophets.Chapter Three probes the ecological mode of discourse in the books of prophets. It consists of two divisions: penalty conveyed by the ecological mode of discourse and redemption expressed by the ecological mode of discourse.The conclusion of the thesis summaries the ecocritical study of the books of prophets. On one side, it criticizes the negative ecological thought. On the other side, it explores the positive ecological consciousness which subverts the anthropocentrism and advocates ecological harmony. It is hoped that this thesis will contribute to harmonize the relationship between man and nature and realize the sustainable development of human society.