A Myth for the Sixth Mass Extinction: Telling Noah’s Story during a Climate Crisis
Myths are open storylines that invite elaboration and modification. The flood narrative of Genesis 6–9, for example, has been readily employed to motivate endangered species protection and to reflect on the rising seas and mass extinctions associated with climate change. The distinctive features of...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-03-01
|
| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/3/243 |
| _version_ | 1797442879677792256 |
|---|---|
| author | Nancy Menning |
| author_facet | Nancy Menning |
| author_sort | Nancy Menning |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Myths are open storylines that invite elaboration and modification. The flood narrative of Genesis 6–9, for example, has been readily employed to motivate endangered species protection and to reflect on the rising seas and mass extinctions associated with climate change. The distinctive features of any retelling of the Noah’s ark story reflect the needs of historically situated and culturally embedded audiences. This paper focuses on four versions of Noah’s story: in Genesis, in the Qur’an, at Ark Encounter theme park, and in Darren Aronofsky’s film <i>Noah</i>. Analysis identifies the narrative choices that align each telling with its cultural context and draws out insights for adapting the story for the contemporary climate crisis. A conclusion addresses issues of race and racial injustice in traditional interpretations of Noah’s story, and highlights approaches to redress those inequities in new imaginings of the flood narrative. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:47:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5f66e0fdbf364205aad46b427f1b01da |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:47:59Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-5f66e0fdbf364205aad46b427f1b01da2023-11-30T22:10:20ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-03-0113324310.3390/rel13030243A Myth for the Sixth Mass Extinction: Telling Noah’s Story during a Climate CrisisNancy Menning0Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 14850, USAMyths are open storylines that invite elaboration and modification. The flood narrative of Genesis 6–9, for example, has been readily employed to motivate endangered species protection and to reflect on the rising seas and mass extinctions associated with climate change. The distinctive features of any retelling of the Noah’s ark story reflect the needs of historically situated and culturally embedded audiences. This paper focuses on four versions of Noah’s story: in Genesis, in the Qur’an, at Ark Encounter theme park, and in Darren Aronofsky’s film <i>Noah</i>. Analysis identifies the narrative choices that align each telling with its cultural context and draws out insights for adapting the story for the contemporary climate crisis. A conclusion addresses issues of race and racial injustice in traditional interpretations of Noah’s story, and highlights approaches to redress those inequities in new imaginings of the flood narrative.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/3/243Ark Encounterclimate changeDarren Aronofskyendangered speciesNoah’s Arkracial injustice |
| spellingShingle | Nancy Menning A Myth for the Sixth Mass Extinction: Telling Noah’s Story during a Climate Crisis Religions Ark Encounter climate change Darren Aronofsky endangered species Noah’s Ark racial injustice |
| title | A Myth for the Sixth Mass Extinction: Telling Noah’s Story during a Climate Crisis |
| title_full | A Myth for the Sixth Mass Extinction: Telling Noah’s Story during a Climate Crisis |
| title_fullStr | A Myth for the Sixth Mass Extinction: Telling Noah’s Story during a Climate Crisis |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Myth for the Sixth Mass Extinction: Telling Noah’s Story during a Climate Crisis |
| title_short | A Myth for the Sixth Mass Extinction: Telling Noah’s Story during a Climate Crisis |
| title_sort | myth for the sixth mass extinction telling noah s story during a climate crisis |
| topic | Ark Encounter climate change Darren Aronofsky endangered species Noah’s Ark racial injustice |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/3/243 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nancymenning amythforthesixthmassextinctiontellingnoahsstoryduringaclimatecrisis AT nancymenning mythforthesixthmassextinctiontellingnoahsstoryduringaclimatecrisis |