Holmes Rolston III was a philosopher and a Presbyterian minister whose research, writings, and lectures on the religious imperative to respect nature helped to establish the field of environmental ethics.
His work assigned value not only to human beings but also to plants, animals, species, and ecosystems as core issues of theological and scientific concern. He was one of the world’s leading advocates for protecting the Earth’s biodiversity and ecology in recognition of the intrinsic value of creation, including the ongoing evolutionary genesis in the natural world. In philosophical circles, he was widely known as the “father of environmental ethics.” In theological circles, he was known for his concept of a sacred, prolific, yet “cruciform” creation.
