Animal theology and ethical concerns

A school of theological thought has arisen in recent years that can be appropriately named "Animal Theology." Animal theology takes up the challenge of making the great themes of the Christian tradition (faith, grace, resurrection, redemption, sin, natural law and so on) relevant to animals. It challenges us to face our assumptions, and socially conditioned beliefs about the place of animals in our world and salvation theology. It resists the assumption that God is totally consumed with human purposes and that creation is simply the back-drop for human persons to work out their salvation. It decentres the human person, but notes the appropriate role of humans as custodians of creation.