sustain:if:able kiwi

a theology for extinct species and cultures

“We lament the “lost civilizations” of past millenia, civilizations we can only partially reconstruct from archaeological remains or in epic movies. But if we take Revelation 21 seriously, they are not “lost” forever! … Think of the prospect! All human culture, language, literature, art, music, science, business, sport, technological achievement – actual and potential – all available to us. All of it with the poison of evil and sin sucked out of it forever.” Chris Wright, The God I Don’t Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith, 202-3.

It’s a wonderful passage, which struck me, having been reflecting recently on cultural loss through history.

I then made a mental link with Revelation 5:13-14; when all creatures are singing praise and I ask: does “all” include dinosaurs and extinct species? Might, in the grace of God, the retrieval not just of buried cultures, but also of extinct species, be part of Christian hope?