O Land, Land, Land! Images of Land in Jeremiah and in New Zealand Poetry: Ecological Readings from Aotearoa.

Abstract

In his renowned article published in 1967, Lynn White Jr. argues that a causal relationship exists between Christianity (grounded in the Bible) and the contemporary ecological crisis. (Western) Christianity, insists White, is the world’s most anthropocentric religion, and it is this anthropocentrism that underlies human harm of the environment. The cultural significance of Christianity means that – even for non-Christian Westerners – biblical representations of the biosphere play a role in determining our conduct towards the environment. White also suggests that since the roots of the ecological crisis are largely religious, the remedy must also be religious. With White’s words in mind, this thesis employs an ecological hermeneutic to assess critically the representations of Land in the book of Jeremiah, asking questions of the text’s contribution to the current state of environmental degradation, as well as assessing its potential to assist in alleviating the crisis. This primary analysis is supplemented by an exploration of the role these images play in the formation of individuals and society in Aotearoa New Zealand. A number of New Zealand poems are therefore analysed in an attempt to ascertain the degree to which the biblical depictions of Land continue to shape the social imaginary of this country. After developing a methodological framework, a selection of Jeremianic texts are critically analysed, focusing on the representation of Land. These representations include: Land as wilderness and garden (Jer 2:1-9; 17:5-8; 31:10-14); as sexually abused woman (6:1-8; 51:25-33); and as an interconnected being (3:1-5; 31:35-37). Intertextual analysis between the Jeremianic texts and New Zealand poetry reveals a number of commonalities with regard to the ways in which Land is imaged. Although at no point is a linear connection identified, the Jeremianic images of Land seem to be present within the broad intertextual matrix of the New Zealand social imaginary. From an ecological perspective, White’s critique holds weight. While a high proportion of the images of Land in Jeremiah are anthropocentric, this eco-critical reading suggests that there also exists within these texts an alternative ecological vision of Land which has the capacity to contribute to the transformation of human comportment towards our environment.