Creation and Covenant
摘要
The Spirit’s animating breath provides the theological starting point for reimagining animals within the doctrine of creation. Drawing on the biblical concepts of ruach and nephesh, animal life is interpreted as sustained by the same divine breath that animates all creatures, situating animals within a shared community of life before God. This pneumatological reading confronts anthropocentric assumptions by presenting animals as Spirit imbued beings capable of relational participation within creation. Integrating theological reflection with insights from animal behaviour and studies of animal sentience, the chapter proposes that animals may express forms of creaturely spirituality through affective, relational, and embodied responses that reflect their place within God’s covenantal creation.