David Grumett: The Bible and Farm Animal Welfare
David Grumett, The Bible and Farm Animal Welfare (Cascade Books, 2024), ix-113 pages including indices, ISBN 9798385218592.
This text is yet another in a long line of publications that mines the bible for insights concerning how humans should treat animals. Grumett’s angle takes up the topic of animal husbandry, that is domesticated animals raised for human use (i.e. food, clothing, etc.) in farm and ranch settings. His thesis is “For both Christians and non-Christians, viewing these animals in husbandry systems that were extensive and unmechanized encourages a renewed focus on the animals themselves, including their biological needs and normal behaviors, rather than on animals as products and as sources of products.” He continues arguing that biblical accounts tell non-believers that the bible is not anthropocentric and that sometimes humans are even required to treat animals properly (p.2).
Grummett supports his thesis in the following four chapters, each of which takes up a different aspect of animal welfare that he believes scripture supports. Chapter 1, Herds and Flocks, explores the collective behavior of animals (i.e. sheep and cattle) and how their group behavior impacts their individual and collective well-being. Grumett argues that biblical writings recognize the social element of herd animals in contrast with contemporary ranching systems (p.6). Grumett employs Augustine’s argument that animals are givers of signs, as evidence for the notion that animals are more than creatures to satisfy human needs (p.8). He cites various biblical passages, such as Luke 2:8, that the bible is aware of the collective nature of herd animals. Strangely, Grumett attempts to extend the argument to pigs and chickens even while acknowledging the latter is absent in scripture and the other is rarely mentioned (pp. 16-17). Unfortunately, his appeal to the biblical evidence fails to distinguish between when the biblical writer is describing something and when he is prescribing something (p. 9).
Grumett then proceeds to discuss the sexual and young rearing behaviors of herd animals noting that these practices play an important part in their well-being. Readers will likely find the attention to allegedly non-heterosexual behavior of these animals to be nothing short of bizarre. His comment that readers will find these behaviors “…differing from commonly accepted norms.” (p. 18) to be an understatement. Interestingly, while his thesis is that animal behavior is to teach humans (p.10,18), he does not follow through on how this alleged homosexual behavior in animals is to teach us.
In Chapter 2, Bodies, Grumett argues that the biblical testimony and scientific research condones the practice of maintaining the bodily integrity of the farm animals. Where the prior chapter heralded the value of inter-animal relationships, this chapter argues that the bodies of individual animals should be maintained in their original form. Practices, such as castration, tail docking, nose ringing, debeaking, etc. should be abandoned because they are not supported by Scripture. While conceding that sometimes good husbandry practices may require violating the bodily integrity of an animal, it should only be done if absolutely necessary, meaning that alternative options have been eliminated (p. 51).
Grumett bases this opinion on the sacrificial law that forbids sacrificing blemished animals (Exod 12:5; 29:1; pp. 31, 37). Since the Hebrew word Tamim, (unblemished) means that castrated animals were not permissible sacrifices (cf. Lev 22:19, 24-5), Grumett contends Israelites conformed their ranching practices to align with this law. Unfortunately, he does not provide any evidence for this assertion. Perhaps his awareness of this evidentiary gap explains why he spent so much space discussing the negative impacts of common husbandry practices that violate an animal’s bodily integrity.
Chapter 3, Behavior, turns our attention to where (i.e. habitat) and how (i.e. eating, moving and playing) animals live their lives. Basing his argument in the creation narrative of Genesis 1, Grumett says “It is notable that the animals are assigned habitats that are all outdoors, and that at no future point is any other norm established.” (p. 54). He continues to say that if animals are to be kept indoors there must be substantive reasons for doing so. Ultimately, Grumett believes that the biblical suggestion, if not an explicit norm, is for farmers to raise animals is as freely as possible so the animals can experience the fulness of their behavioral characteristics. Interestingly, while he is aware that the bible speaks of stall-fed calves (pp.57ff) noting Amos’ condemnation (6:4), Christ’s reference to the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:23) is conspicuously ignored.
The final chapter, Stockpersons, looks at the role of the animal caretakers. He asserts that Israel’s husbandry was philosophically/religiously different than that of her pagan neighbors in that she treated animals objectively. Animals were not sources of spiritual strength for Israelites (pp. 69-70). Since the dominion narratives are troublesome for Grumett, he attempts to downplay their impact by suggesting there were exceptions to the top-down coercive authority scheme between humans and animals (p. 71). Unfortunately, the exceptions employed to illustrate his point all involve human to human subjugation, not human to animal. Nevertheless, he continues arguing that the human-animal relationship is covenantal (p.75) and goes into some detail about different aspects of the stockperson-animal bond and its importance.
Grumett describes one rather strange example of the human-animal bond, namely when the stockperson is seen as a member of the herd. Grumett claims that such a blurring of the human-animal distinction can be found in the story of Rachel putting goat skin on Jacob (pp. 84-85; Gen 27:11-23). He ends the chapter suggesting that ranchers should safeguard, if not reestablish, the bond between stockperson and livestock that has been marred/threatened by contemporary livestock practices.
The book ends with a three-page Epilogue where Grumett reminds readers that the bible has more to say about animal agriculture than what is traditionally thought. In addition, scripture sees animals as having their own intrinsic (versus utilitarian) worth which should be respected. Interestingly, he only claims that humans should work harder to treat animals well rather than the typical animal rights call for ending animal husbandry and adopt veganism.
Grumett’s reading of scripture through the lens of animal husbandry, informed by modern science, is certainly a worthy approach. The manifold truths contained in scripture can often only be appreciated when we narrow the scope of our attention to a particular perspective. For making readers aware of that approach, Grumett is to be commended. While astute readers will hear the echoes of an animal protectionist perspective, if not an animal rights one, Grumett refuses to condemn animal husbandry outright. In this he differs from other readers of scripture from the animal protectionist perspective.
While adopting a perspectival approach to probe scripture is useful, it can never have the final say. The method should never be privileged as being the only way they look at the text. For elevating an approach to ex cathedra status can easily result in distortions to the authorial meaning. Take the example of one of my seminary professors who cautioned us not to overread the meaning of a word during lexical analysis. He used the example of interpreting a letter. We traditionally start with “Dear….” He noted that if we read too much into the word ‘Dear’, we might think the writer was extremely fond of us. If we were researching love literature, we might think that every letter starting with “Dear…” is a love letter. Regrettably, Grumett allowed his animal welfare approach to biblical data about livestock animals to blind him to alternative views and contrary data.
Permit me to provide just a couple of examples to illustrate. Grumett conveniently ignores biblical data that counters his perspective. For example, in the reference to muzzling the ox (p. 60), he doesn’t engage Paul who clearly argued that God’s concern wasn’t about animal welfare (1 Cor 9:9). In fact, his scripture index does not even list a passage from 1 Corinthians (p. 108). Likewise, he ignores Christ’s use of the fatted calf in the story about the Prodigal Son, despite spending two pages on the subject (pp. 57-58) telling us that the bible suggests such activity is less than ideal. Wouldn’t Jesus, the author of Scripture, know not to use a fatted calf in a positive light? Or how should Christ’s treatment of the herd of pigs be interpreted? Did Christ’s decision to allow them to be demonized and then drowned demonstrate proper stewardship of domestic animals (Matt 8:30ff; Mark 5:11ff; Luke 8:32ff)? Finally, Grumett argues that modifying an animal’s body is wrong. But what about an owner whose ox likes to gore (Ex 21:29)? Is it better for the owner to cut the horns or should the ox just be killed and eaten? Grumett does not tell us.
The second problem with the book lies in the manner of Grumett’s argumentation. While the tone is suggestive and non-dogmatic, Grumett frequently draws conclusions and makes connections without filling in the evidentiary or logical steps. He claims that Amos 6:4 condemns stall fed calves (p. 58). While acknowledging the financial angle of Amos’ condemnation, Grumett continues to suggest that stall-feeding calves was inherently wrong. Unfortunately, this claim is asserted not proven (see also the animal play argument p. 64).
Grumett frequently confuses what the bible portrays with what it proffers. On page 54, he appeals to the creation narratives regarding animal habitats as being outdoors (versus indoors). But the question is where else would recently created animals be (other than outdoors) until Adam and Eve could begin to initiate the creation mandate? I live in Montana’s cattle country. During our winter storms, I would suggest that the herd would definitely prefer to be “indoors” rather than unrestrained in the field during an ice storm. But is it morally wrong or a violation of our dominion mandate to keep cattle in the field? Regrettably, Grumett’s failure to connect the logical steps and provide the needed evidence to reach his animal-welfare conclusions leaves readers wanting.
By now readers should understand that this book is entirely inadequate to the task it had taken up. While we can thank Grumett for raising the issue of biblical testimony and livestock production, we will have to look elsewhere for answers that can be faithful to the biblical witness and withstand fair-minded scrutiny.
Reviewed by Stephen M. Vantassel
Publisher’s page: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385218592/the-bible-and-farm-animal-welfare/
Category: In Depth, Winter 2025
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