Jonah: an Ecospiritual Review

Liew, Hew Yan (2022) Jonah: an Ecospiritual Review. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

In an anthropogenic era, the dire state of the environment has become an increasingly concerning topic of discussion for the public. Hence, in order to understand the need to take action, one must first understand the relationship between humans and nature. The Bible being a religious text exists with very specific purposes. With that being said, nature elements were used very specifically as well. This research uses the Ecospirituality theory on the book of Jonah from the Bible, to determine the relationship between Jonah, God and nature. This research aims to identify how God communicates with humans through nature, the relationship that exists between the three based on the communicative elements and how that affects nature. Even without the presence of God, the relationship between nature and humans can still be established through Ecospirituality based on the individual’s personal spirituality. This research has identified that nature elements hold symbolic meaning that play significant roles in the lives of humans. Additionally, they are used as mediums of communication between humans and God or in this case, a higher order. This then, established particular relationships between humans and nature such as understanding the authority of a Creator and the consequences of obedience and submission as well as the fact that humans exist in coexistence and intimacy with nature. Hence, as humans, there is a need to advocate for nature as coexisting beings.