2. Neil McPherson The Old Testament – The Word of God Creation – God creates the Earth, Man, Animal & Plant “ the most important doctrine regarding the role & treatment of animals in relationship to human beings” (Yarri 2005: 108) Two narratives of Creation – Genesis i:1–ii:4 & ii:4–ii:25 The Fall – The Serpent and Eve - eating from the tree of good & evil The Flood – God cleanses the Earth After the Flood – the animal as food

12. Neil McPherson Importance of the narratives of Creation The importance and influence of the Creation narratives in the human conceptualisation of human/nonhuman animal relations Resistance to Pagan animism - subordination of nature to the human while retaining the linkage of woman and nature seen in paganism – ridiculing of animal worship Often regarded as the beginning of the Judaeo-Christian oppression of nonhuman animals

13. Neil McPherson Problems when considering the narratives of Creation Not the source of timeless ‘ truths ’ Interpretation – culturally and historically conditioned Various authors – differences in time & focus – contradictions & discrepancies Cannot be taken literally as Biblical command – malleable to perspective

14. Neil McPherson The pro-animal potential of the narratives of Creation Resource for engaging & interrogating moral concerns Symbolic consideration Can be mobilised in support of the disenfranchised Liberation theology (see Gutierrez 1971) - ‘ hermeneutic of suspicion ’ (see Yarri 2005) See, in particular, the work of Rev Dr Andrew Linzey goo.gl/3hbFD goo.gl/2OZ81

23. Neil McPherson Theophilosophy of Aquinas and the nonhuman animal The Great Chain of Being Benevolent or despotic dominion? Tyranny or stewardship? Nonhuman as referent to Man Anthropocentrism Renaissance reason - Buffon & Linnaeus

24. Neil McPherson Theophilosophy of Aquinas and the rational soul Aquinas, employing Aristotle ’ s dualist concept of body and soul, argued that corporeal body and immortal soul of the dead would be reunited through the process of resurrection. In the theophilosophical framework of Aquinas, the soul emerged as both rational and immortal, the site of what it was to be human. Any body mutilated in death would be returned to its full expression in resurrection through its reunification with its immortal soul, thereby opening the way for the religious acceptance of human dissection in order to reveal the wonder inscribed on the internal body by God (see Armstrong 1999). Renaissance dissection and vivisection