Introduction: Karl Barth (1886-1968), arguably the most influential and shameless Protestant theologian of the 20th century, tries to whitewash, sugarcoat and sanctify the torture and murder of innocent creatures of God in butchery, hunting, and vivisection by (ab)using the names of God and Jesus Christ.
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1. The Honourable Butcher as a “High Priest!
Specifically, his strategy is to identify the “good hunter, honourable butcher and conscientious vivisectionist” with an Old Testament Abel or Noah or a High Priest engaged in an “act of eschatological character”, which can only achieved “in recollection of the reconciliation of man by the Man [Jesus Christ] who intercedes for him and for all creation” (Barth 1961:355). In this act, the “High Priest” destroys the animal and surrenders them to God to atone for the humans’ sins. Only after that does the “High Priest” receives whatever remains of the animal for the satisfaction of the humans’ own needs and desires (Barth 1961:354).
2. A Protective, Caring and Friendly Butcher?!
Barth claims that an honourable butcher, good hunter and conscientious vivisectionist are summoned to “an intensified, sharpened and deepened diffidence, reserve and carefulness”, and that “on these frontiers…animal protection, care and friendship are quite dispensable.” (Barth 1961:355). But is there anything protective, caring or friendly about killing an innocent sentient creature of God who doesn’t want to die?!!
3. “Dominion” as “Lordship”
Barth’s bizarre approach to animal abuse stems from his misinterpretation of human “dominion” over fish, birds, cattle, beasts and reptiles in Genesis 1:26-28 as “lordship” with the “primary meaning of requisitioning, disciplining, taming, harnessing, exploiting and making profitable use of” them. (1961:351). “For what is human lordship over the beast if it cannot take this form of domesticating animals?” rhetorically asks Barth (1961:351). To Barth, “man” is set up by God as “lord on the earth which is already furnished with these creatures” as “his means of life” (Barth 1961:351). So Karl Barth’s essential definition of human “dominion” in Gen. 1:28 is use and exploitation of animals by human lords, although he hypocritically qualifies it with a responsibility to respect the fellow-creatures of humanity, in terms of “a careful, considerate, friendly”, “understanding” and “sympathetic” treatment of them (Barth 1961:352).
4. “Dominion” as “Servanthood”
In reality, the true meaning of “dominion” in Genesis 1:28 is servanthood. ירדו (yirdu), the ancient biblical Hebrew word in consonantal form for "dominion" in Genesis 1:28 connotes both רָדָה (radah) (to tread down, subjugate, rule) and יָרַד (yarad) (to lower oneself, to descend) (cf. Chaim and Laura 2015). Rev. Prof. Andrew Linzey argues that "dominion" in Genesis 1:28 means stewardship rather than despotism (Linzey 1995:34), because it is immediately followed by a vegan diet prescribed by God to humans (Genesis 1:29). He even contends that the human species has the unique potential to become "the servant species" able to work with God in liberating animals (Linzey 1995:45, 57). Richard Ritenbaugh (1999) also notes that in Genesis 2:15, humans are particularly assigned to tend (עָבַד/abad) and keep (שָׁמַר/shamar) the garden—i.e., to be a caretaker of it. Thus, "dominion over animals" signifies that God commands humandkind to lower themselves and serve other animals as a servant. This is confirmed by Jesus’ saying that He has come to serve, NOT to be served (Mark 10:45). To interpret "dominion" as "servanthood" is also safer than as "stewardship" and "caretakership" for "servanthood" involves least power and authority.
5. Conclusion
Numerous theologians before and after Barth, e.g., Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Billy Graham, have tried to justify animal abuse by quoting “dominion” in Gen. 1:28. What’s most scandalous, disgraceful and blasphemous about Karl Barth is his attempt to make butchery, hunting and vivisection a priestly, sacred “act of eschatological character”, which respects the animal victims.
References
Barth, Karl (1961). Church Dogmatics: The Doctrine of Creation, Volume 3, Part 4: The Command of God the Creator. London: T& T Clark. Authorized English trans. of Die Kircheliche Dogmatik III: Die Lehre von de Schopfung 4, Evangelischer Verlag A.G., Zollikon-Zurich, 1951.
Chaim & Laura (2015). "Hebrew Word Study -- Dominion." Chaim Bentorah, Jun. 4. https://www.chaimbentorah.com/2015/06/hebrew-word-study-dominion/#:~:text=Seven%20hundred%20years%20after%20the,come%20down%20or%20lower%20oneself.
Linzey, Andrew (1995). Animal Theology. Champaign: University of Illinois Press.
Ritenbaugh, Richard T. (1999). "The Bible and the Environment." Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," February. https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/2163/Dominion-over-Animals.htm
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