The Dominion of Love: Animal Rights According to the Bible

by Norm Phelps

Many commentators and users of the Bible have, over the centuries and up to the present day, used the Bible to argue that animals have no rights, that they were put on this earth for our use, and that we have no obligations to them.

In his cogent, honest, and fully researched and referenced work, The Dominion of Love, Norm Phelps attempts to encourage all who revere the Bible as holy scripture to open their hearts to the suffering that we inflict upon our nonhuman neighbors. He shows that the right of animals not to be imprisoned, d, and killed for our benefit flows naturally from the Bible’s message of love and compassion and argues that this is the message of the Bible’s most important passages dealing with our relationship to animals. He further responds to the defenses of animal exploitation that are often made based on the Bible.

Beautifully written, The Dominion of Love is an essential addition to a growing body of literature that argues for a compassionate and non-exploitative reading of Holy Scripture.

"Phelps' book is a of close reading. It is sure to convince even the most conservative Christians that we still have much to learn from the Bible about compassion and stewardship. And animal rights advocates will discover that the Bible has been on the cutting edge of this movement all along." -Steven Webb, author, Good Eating

"After decades of neglect, churches are beginning to take the issue of justice to animals seriously. Many books have influenced this change, and The Dominion of Love is an insightful, judicious and inspiring contribution to this growing library." - The Rev. Dr. Andrew Linzey, Oxford University; author, Animal Theology

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

Norm Phelps was the spiritual outreach director of The Fund for Animals, as well as a founding member of the Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV) and a contributing writer for Satya. His goal was for faith communities of all traditions to include animals within the scope of their compassionate ministries.