Can There Be a Forgiveness That Makes a Difference Ecologically?

Abstract

The article considers master/slave relations in the Gospel of Luke as a background for understanding forgiveness (as ἄϕεσις) ecologically. I draw on the work of ecophilosopher Val Plumwood, who identifies a master/slave dynamic operating in a logic of colonisation An important aspect of the master/slave dynamic is the ascription of agency to the master and no, or limited, agency to the slave. I re-situate agency within a more-than-human sociality that includes both human and other than human members of the Earth community. I interpret forgiveness in Luke as a gracious interruption (or gift) that occurs within the materiality of this community. Through a life-giving shift toward freedom, this gift of forgiveness enables in turn a life-giving agency, enacted in a more-than-human community.