When you think of animals in the Bible, what do you think of?
Maybe you think of the story of Noah’s ark, where God commands Noah to bring a pair of every kind of animal onto the ark to save them from the flood.
Or maybe you think of the Ten Plagues, where God sends hordes of pests and a pestilence to the Egyptians’ livestock to convince Pharaoh to free the Israelites.
Perhaps some of the famous animal sacrifices come to mind, such as when Abraham sacrifices a ram instead of his son, Isaac, or when each Israelite household sacrifices a lamb and smears its blood on their doorposts on the night of Passover to save their first-born child.
Perhaps some of the famous animal sacrifices come to mind, such as when Abraham sacrifices a ram instead of his son, Isaac, or when each Israelite household sacrifices a lamb and smears its blood on their doorposts on the night of Passover to save their first-born child.
But have you ever thought about all the animals that didn’t make it on to the boat and were drowned in the Great Flood along with all the evil humans? What about the astronomical number of frogs, insects, and livestock like cows and sheep that were either inevitably or intentionally killed as part of the Ten Plagues? Or the unfathomable amount of animals slaughtered for sacrifices throughout the Old Testament?
Now, depending on who you ask, these stories may be just that: stories. Regardless of whether they are supposed to be taken literally, the implication that animals are thoughtlessly disposable and relatively unimportant is undeniable. Other biblical texts, however — such as the creation story and the famous commandment “You shall not murder” — have been used to suggest the opposite: that animals are inherently valuable and have a right to life.
The Bible’s depiction of animals, positive or negative, naturally has some impact on the way Christians view animals, even subliminally; and, with Christians making up around two-thirds of the population of the United States, this impact must be profound. An examination into meat consumption, hunting, and animal blessings reveals diverse yet but fundamentally biblical perspectives on some of the biggest animal-rights issues today, which has led to the question at the core of this exhibit: What is the Bible’s role in the Christian perspective of animals in the U.S.?
A Note About Translation
This exhibit will use the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVue) because of its ecumenical translation and preference in academia unless otherwise noted.
