Hunting – The Bible’s Role in the Christian Perception of Animals

A painting of St. Eustace riding a horse in the woods with animals surrounding him. He is looking at a stag with a crucifix between its antlers. — The Vision of Saint Eustace, a painting by Renaissance painter Pisanello. According to legend, the Roman general was out hunting when he encountered a stag with a crucifix between its antlers. The general instantly converted to Christianity, and, after being martyred, became the patron saint of hunters.

What does the Bible say about hunting?

The Bible is notoriously ambiguous on a vast amount of issues, and hunting is no exception. There are plenty of instances of hunting in biblical narratives, but their occurrence does not necessarily determine their permissibility. What further complicates the topic is that the meaning of a verse may be different depending on the Bible translation, which has led to contrasting understandings of hunting.

Genesis 1:26

Perhaps the most important and contentious Bible verse in animal-rights issues — and, more broadly, environmental issues as a whole — is Genesis 1:26. In this text, God gives humans dominion over all the creatures of the Earth:

Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

People have interpreted this verse in a variety of different ways in the context of hunting. Some believe it calls for humans to protect and care for the lives of animals rather than hunt them; some believe it permits only responsible and necessary hunting, like hunting for food; and others believe it allows humans to kill animals as they please, including hunting them for sport. This third understanding of Genesis 1:26 has allowed Christian hunters to interpret other biblical texts as allowing hunting.

Genesis 27:3

A novelty sign with an image of a deer that reads, "Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. Genesis 27:3." — A novelty sign in a hunter’s home that quotes Genesis 27:3.

In Genesis 27:3, Isaac commands his son Esau, “Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me.” This translation of the verse is from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVue), while the above sign quotes the New King James Version (NKJV). While this verse contains neither a divine mandate nor a condemnation of hunting, many Christian hunters and hunting groups have embraced it as biblical encouragement for their hobby.

Proverbs 12:27

An photograph of a gun lying across a dead deer's body. The text says, "The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt. Proverbs 12:27." — A social media post that quotes Proverbs 12:27.

Proverbs 12:27, which says that “the lazy do not roast their game, but the diligent obtain precious wealth,” seems to confirm the practice of hunting as legitimate, but only when it is done to survive – suggesting that hunting for sport is not permissible. It is worth noting that the social media post above uses the NIV translation which more clearly references hunting: the diligent “feed on the riches of the hunt” (NIV) rather than “obtain precious wealth” (NRSVue).

Christian Hunting Groups

Many groups have been created with the mission of connecting people with God and the Christian faith through hunting. Some of the most prominent groups include Christian Hunters of America, a “ministry that uses hunting and the outdoors to reach people to bring them closer to God and all his glory.” The Christian Deer Hunters Association is a non-profit “which exists for the purpose of helping individuals know and better understand the God of the Bible,” and, in addition to its ministry, offers pocket-sized “Devotions for Deer Hunters.” Limitless Outdoors begins some of their hunting videos with Gospel messages in an effort to “share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the hunting community through high quality hunting videos and Beast Feasts to connect them to Jesus, the local church, and a discipleship relationship.” Hunters in Christ’s Kingdom, Christian Brothers Hunting Club, Christian Hunters and Gatherers — the common theme among all these organizations is that hunting is some kind of religious practice — that killing animals is an effective method of connecting people with God.

The Christian Hunters of America's logo. The red cross becomes an arrowhead, alluding to the organization's former name, Desert Christian Archers.

A man, wearing an orange hunting shirt, holds up a sign that says "John 3:16" behind a grazing buck. — An image from the CHA's website. Behind the deer, one of the CHA's members, who is wearing an orange hunting shirt, holds up a sign that references John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."

The Christian Deer Hunters Association's logo depicting three crosses intersecting with the crosshairs of a firearm.

Several copies of the Christian Deer Hunters Association's "Devotions for Deer Hunters" spread out on a deer hide. The cover contains its title, "Devotions for Deer Hunters, Volume 23" and an image of a buck grazing, and it quotes Psalm 42:1. — The CDHA sells pocket-sized devotionals called "Devotions for Deer Hunters." The cover of this edition, Volume 23, quotes Psalm 42:1 from the NIV: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God." The NRSVue, however, translates this verse differently: "As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God."

Limitless Outdoors

“In an age where Christianity has become subdued and regulated to a mundane religious routine we want to show people first hand that walking with Jesus is as wild as the places and animals we hunt. We are breaking the mold of stuffy religion and staged hunts to bring you hunting as it is and Jesus as He should be.”

This is the message of Limitless Outdoors, a hunting organization founded in 2013 that practices “unapologetic evangelism” and “hardcore hunting.” Existing to “connect [the hunting community] to Jesus, the local church, a discipleship relationship,” they have almost 75,000 followers on YouTube to whom they preach the Gospel at the beginning of their hunting videos. Their website explains, “On every hunting video the Lord gave us a vision to share a short devotional and Gospel message that is relatable to the hunter.” In addition to their main account, they have a sub-channel where they post full-length Gospel messages each week.

Note: The following video contains no actual hunting, injured/dead animals, or other graphic imagery.

In this video, Limitless Outdoors founder and evangelist Justin Gibbins quotes James 1:2-4 to explain that God strengthens hunters’ faith by challenging their patience (translated as “endurance” in the NRSVue) while hunting: “I want to encourage you not to give up if you’re facing hard things right now and things aren’t going the way you want or not happening as fast as you want them to. God’s producing patience in you; that testing of your faith is producing patience, and that patience will complete you, it will perfect you, it will make you stronger, it will make you better — and I’m hoping in this situation that our faith that a moose is going to come along is going to result in a big moose on the ground, but, man, it is a major test of my patience out here.”