The King’s Green Pad

Christian writing about the environment often suffers from a few problems. First, it tends to be too theological. Second, it tends to ignore social systems. Third, it assumes individual solutions to complex and linked problems of creation. Fourth, such theological, social and environmental complexity is hard to describe in a readable fashion. I know I have that problem of being understandable!

I’m happy to have recently found a book that overcomes all of these problems. We’ve been using it in a series of adult Sunday school sessions at an Edmonton Mennointe Church and many people have commented on how good it is. Creation Care: Keepers of the Earth, by Luke Gascho.

The problem with being too theological is that too much theology can overemphasize an understanding of human behaviour as based primarily on the basis of people’s own rational understandings. For example, there’s plenty of information out there about the environment and what we must do for a lasting, livable world. Yet even environmentally concerned people do much that is not in accord with their environmental values. While we want to understand God and base our discipleship on that call, there are other, very significant influences that must be taken in to account.

This brings up the second problem. We are shaped by our culture and act on the basis of habits and routines that make sense in the social situations in which we operate. Environmental problems are problems of the way that societies are organized, use resources, require energy (and use specific types of energy), have effective transit systems, and so on. In other words, we have to understand environmental problems as caused by our societal systems.
Creation Care starts with a theological overview that grounds the later chapters.

In particular, Gascho gets people to think of both nature and significant places, and then explains how a “theology of place” is more effective for dealing with environmental problems. The book then moves into chapters on eco-justice (unfair social systems), transportation systems, food and water systems, buildings, and global climate change.

This approach overcomes that third problem. Environmental degradation is caused by these systems, so changing individual will have limited effect. Therefore, collective action is needed, including governmental action. But as “moral communities”, churches are ideally suited to discussing and helping each other with questions of lifestyle, such as “how much is enough”? Church members can share goods with each other – does every house need its own lawnmower? This could be one form of fulfilling the new social and economic relations in the Body of Christ: “they will know you are mine by the way that you love.” Acts 2 & 4 show the early church as cooperative economic societies; this might be a tradition to recover.

Throughout, Gascho, writes in a clear and readable manner. However, the book often cites Mennonite examples and the 1995 Confession of Faith in Mennonite Perspective. It also assumes a peace perspective which some Christians do not hold. Most importantly, the theme of “creation care” trumps the notion of stewardship. Care is built on a foundation of love, whereas stewardship is, I believe, a missquided way of conceiving of humans as manager of the earth and surrogate for God. Given human sin and our magnificent track record in managing the earth so far, creation care puts a different emphasis on Christian response to the present groanings of creation. Each chapter includes personal reflection questions and questions for group discussion. In 12 readable chapters, Creation Care: Keepers of the Earth, is ideal for both personal reading and group work.

This post was authored by Randolph Haluza-Delay, Assistant Professor of Sociology at The King’s University College.

Creation Care: Keepers of the Earth by Luke Gascho. Herald Press (2008; ISBN 978-0-8361-9467-8; 170pp, $14Cnd). http://store.mpn.net/productdetails.cfm?PC=959 OR from Amazon or Chapters.