The Status and Duty of Humankind - created world

Status and Duty of Humankind - dominion as power, dominion as stewardship.

Humans are the pinnacle of creation, made in Imago Dei (made in Gods image).This means that they are moral beings and as such have a duty to care for Gods creation.

In christianity humans are said to have dominion over the created world. The dominion is not an easy concept to interpret as regards human duties to the created world. Dominion can be seen as power or dominion as stewardship.

Western Interpretation is that dominion is of power: the natural world exists for the benefit of human beings.  God does not care how we treat it as it is here for our expense. We are the only morally important members of this world. The created world is not seen as having any intrinsic value, except as far as it benefits humans.

Aquinas…