What do these words mean? How do they interact? And just what is humankind’s responsibility to care for God’s creation? In the closing years of the last millennium, these questions gained unprecedented prominence in religious circles as clergy, theologians, and laymen alike grappled to establish a firm environmental ethic. In the face of growing concerns about how our rapidly advancing technologies, coupled with our increasing demand for resources, were impacting creation, yet at the same time trying to balance the need for increased progress and productivity–especially for the world’s poorest citizens–many divergent views emerged.