Book

“Will We Recover Our Responsibility for God’s Creation?” by Ben Lowe and Ronald J Sider

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“Will We Recover Our Responsibility for God’s Creation?” is the final essay in a larger intergenerational conversation on a twenty-first century faith. The Future of Our Faith: An Intergenerational Conversation on Critical Issues Facing the Church is a work by Ben Lowe and Ronald J. Sider working to bridge the divide between generations. They recognize the “inter-generational tension” present within the church, and in this work, they welcome each other into conversation. They each present four essays on major issues facing the church with responses from the other.

The final issue addressed in the book is our care for creation. Both from evangelical backgrounds both Lowe and Sider are advocates for creation care. Lowe raises the issue and first acknowledges the indifference, dismissal, and occasionally aggression he has received in congregations when he has breeched the call of care for creation. They reclaim an evangelical theology which calls believers to be stewards of a creation divinely gifted to a broken humanity.

For many Christian congregations and communities, especially ones who identify as evangelical, this book provides a platform on which to have one’s own intergenerational conversation. In a time when generations are so polarized, this book does the hard work of being in Christian community and love with those generations which precede and follow us.

This book can be found on Amazon, major book retailers, and your favorite independent bookstore. More information on Ben Lowe can be found at his website here. To learn more about Ronald J. Sider click here to be taken to the Evangelicals for Social Action website.

Care for Creation by Pope Francis

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Care for Creation: A Call for Ecological Conversation is a collection of Pope Francis’s writings and words which give background to the direction of Laudato Si’. Grouped into ten chapters, this book offers a very accessible introduction to the Pope’s understanding of the call of the church to creation care.

He frames the current struggle as one guided by a lust for money’s idol and the globalization of indifference. He calls each reader to action, not blaming them for the global issues of poverty and climate change, but implicating them as necessary actors in the solutions. He recognizes the ecological crisis as related to the inner crisis of belief and identity experienced globally. Pope Francis argues that we all must become part of the solution, taking faith-inspired action to care for our world and those in it. Far from arguing that only the church or individuals can create lasting change, he believes that there must also be systematic change in the government and economic structures which govern our world.

For those who are intimidated by Laudato Si’ or are looking for more of Pope Francis’ reflections on creation care and ecology, this book in short sections frames the call to care for the world and those who live in it.

This book can be found on Amazon, major book retailers, and your favorite independent bookstore.

Caring for Creation: The Evangelical’s Guide… by Mitch Hescox and Paul Douglas

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Leader of the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN), Mitch Hescox and respected meteorologist, Paul Douglas team up to bring an evangelical guide to creation care. Caring for Creation: The Evangelical’s Guide to Climate Change and a Healthy Environment looks honestly at the problem of climate change and argues that it is evangelical beliefs and conservative ethics which should inspire evangelical Christians to take action to be a better steward of the earth.

They begin by outlining what climate change is exactly and where it impacts our daily lives and lives of others around the world. They strike down the idea that the science that defends climate change is political. Thermometers, erratic weather, and other signs of a changing climate have no agenda liberal or conservative. They look back to the history of the conservative and republican movement in the US and find that it is deeply rooted in and aligned in conservative ideology to work against the effects of climate change. Statements from heroes in the Republican party, for example Ronald Reagan, who call for care for the environment remind readers of the history of support within the Republican party. The authors defend the development and use of renewable energy; they point to ways in which solar, wind, and other renewable energy forms are the future and provide economic growth.

Contextualizing the tradition of conservative and evangelical care for the environment, Hescox and Douglas give readers a background and examples of actions they can take to be better stewards of God’s creation. They point out that it is our children and future generations who will have to pay if we do not restore the earth; because of this reality, they call for action against climate change as a pro-life issue.

For any conservative evangelicals who feel alienated by creation care conversations in which they are not given space to reconcile their ideology with the movement, this book will be a breath of fresh air.

Caring for Creation: The Evangelical’s Guide to Climate Change and a Healthy Environment can be found on Amazon, through major book retailers, and your favorite independent bookstore.

Religion & Environment Book: “Worldviews” in Simpler Living, Compassionate Life

To see a general overview of Simpler Living, Compassionate Life click here.

In this section (Worldviews: The Lens through Which We See): “Worldview as Inheritance” by Michael Schut (191-193); “Traditional Western View of Reality” by Duane Elgin (194-196); “Healing Ourselves and the Earth” by Shantilal Bhagat (196-199); “Sacred Cosmology and the Ecological Crisis” by Philip Sherrard (200-205)

This section looks at what false truths humanity has believed that led us to treat the earth so poorly. It highlights specific ways we understand the world, especially in the West, and explains why ideals like dualism have been toxic to our understanding of the world and our relationship to it. Sherrard closes the section that it is not just how we understand the world, but ourselves that has led to our complicity and action in ecological destruction. To save the world, we must come to understand that everything participates in the sacred.

“Theology in Support of Simplicity and Eco-Justice” in Simpler Living, Compassionate Life

To see a general overview of Simpler Living, Compassionate Life click here.

In this section (Theology in Support of Simplicity and Eco-Justice): “Some Notes from Belshaz’zar’s Feast” by Timothy Weiskel (161-174); “Creation’s Care and Keeping” by Calvin DeWitt (175-179); “The Discipline of Simplicity” by Richard J. Foster (180-190)

Each essay in this section looks to the Bible as a guide in response to the ecological crisis. Weiskel echos earlier sections that call out our idolatry to over-consumption and money. For those wanting an exclusively hopeful response to the environmental crisis, this article will be a disappointment. It honestly looks at the reality of our parasitic co-existence with the Earth and its inhabitants. It argues that the only way forward begins with a deconstruction of what we have always expected, so that we may build a new priority and understanding of our place in the world. It holds cautious hope, but also realizes that it might be too late.

DeWitt’s reflections provide a useful Biblical grounding. This may be especially beneficial for communities beginning their journey in creation care.

In the final article, simplicity is considered as a way of life that is both an inward and outward reality. It establishes the necessary connections between a state of mind and actions. It begins to close the circle of the arc of this book that began with the necessity of affirming the sacred nature of the experience of every living thing.

In my opinion, if you chose to only read one section of this book, pick this one. It captures the Biblical and faith inspired foundation of the movement toward simplicity and implicates those of us who are participants in a culture of over-consumption for the damage we’ve done to the gift we’ve been given.

“Simplicity is Nothing New” in Simpler Living, Compassionate Life

To see a general overview of Simpler Living, Compassionate Life click here.

In this section (Simplicity is Nothing New: A Brief Historical Overview): “Introduction to the Politics of Simplicity” by Jerome Segal (141-144); “Epilogue” from The Simple Life by David Shi (144-148); “Simplicity Among the Saints” by Richard J. Foster (149-160)

While this section does not convict readers or give exact action recommendations, it does look back to ways that the Holy Spirit has inspired simplicity in the lives of Christians through the ages. Embracing the great cloud of witnesses, the authors in this section look to the good done in Christ’s name when simplicity was prioritized as a method. It seems in commitment to simplicity, love is able to be seen more clearly. While not incredibly intersectional, it does help to frame the 21st century pursuit of simplicity in American and Christian history.

“Social Structures and the Politics of Simplicity” in Simpler Living, Compassionate Life

To see a general overview of Simpler Living, Compassionate life click here.

In this section (Social Structures and the Politics of Simplicity): “Christian Existence in a World of Limits” by John B. Cobb Jr. (117-122); “Structural Changes” by Cecile Andres (123-130); “The Lifestyle of Christian Faithfulness” by William Gibson (131-140)

Previous sections have looked specifically at how food consumption impacts the global community and economy. This section turns to look at systems in society that perpetuate and encourage over-consumption; from theology to capitalism to advertising, authors call out ways in which we’ve built our world for destruction. It focuses not only on personal choices, but the necessity of engaged politics and policy.

Andrews outlines specific structural changes that could be made in society to bring the kingdom of God ever closer. Andrews and other authors in this section are under no delusion that these complex societal problems will be easy to fix. They point to our addiction to overconsumption as the primary source of difficulty in our creation of a more just economy and world.

The essays found here provoke an affluent middle class’s compliance in keeping the poor poor. The guilt of our addictions and choices must be confronted and surpassed. Only when this is accomplished is there hope for a future that affirms the life of all God’s children.

“How Much is Enough?” in Simpler Living, Compassionate Life

To see a general overview of Simpler Living, Compassionate Life click here.

In this section (How Much Is Enough?: Lifestyles, Global Economics, and Justice): “The Big Economy, The Great Economy” by Michael Schut (73-79); “Christian Faith and the Degradation of Creation” by John B. Cobb Jr. (80-89); “How Much is Enough” by Alan Durning (90-98); “Word and Flesh” by Wendell Berry

For simple living to truly be a meaningful and Christian lifestyle, it must not only serve to restore the ecological creation but also those members of the human creation whose lives are impoverished. This section begins to tie together the seemingly disparate sections of our own individual choices and their larger impact on human lives and the economy. The section opens quote from Robert Stivers reminding readers that the Bible, in no uncertain terms, calls believers to seek justice and protect the poor.

Any attempt to contextualize global economy could easily become unwieldy and difficult for the average reader. These essays outline how the habits of the biggest consumers have created an economy that has consequences for those who consume significantly less. It argues that both consumption extremes, over-consumption, and poverty are bad and invites readers to consider a middle path of mindful consumption.

Food is introduced as one example of our unjust over-consumption. In the industrial economy, we’ve created a population separated from the growing process of the food they eat. The supply lines between natural resources to consumer are long. One significant change each of us can make is to commit to shortening the supply lines between us and our food. The section that follows will explore more specific steps that thoughtful consumers may take to disrupt long supply lines.

“Your Money or Your Life” in Simpler Living, Compassionate Life

To see a general overview of Simpler Living, Compassionate Life click here.

In this section: “Spending Money as if Life Really Mattered” by Evy McDonald (59-66); “Money” by William Stringfellow (67-72)

Many people are uncomfortable talking about money. Discussion of income, savings, or giving often makes people blanche. The taboo that the American culture places on talking about money makes conversations of faithful stewardship of one’s money difficult. However, McDonald and Stringfellow bring nuanced approaches to bear in this section, which is the first to really analyze our use of money.

McDonald shares her realization that time = money. She reflects on how her life, especially as a consumer, changed when she began asking whether an item she was considering purchasing was worth the hours of work it would take to make the money needed to buy the item. If an item is not worth the time, she moves on. McDonald’s essay doesn’t vilify money, but encourages readers to become thoughtful consumers.

Stringfellow holds a mirror to the idolization of money. His essay recognizes that the obsession with money has made it a moral measure as well. We’ve come to believe that more money = moral excellence. Stringfellow calls for freedom from this idol. He affirms that money itself is not bad, but our placing money and the acquisition of money above God is wrong.

This section calls the reader to question their own relationship with money, which is helpful preparation for later sections that will widen the scope, turning to larger societal structures.

After Simpler Living, Compassionate Life, Michael Schut also published Money and Faith: The Search for Enough. To learn more about this publication click here to be taken to his website.

“Time as Commodity, Time as Sacred” in Simpler Living, Compassionate Life

To see a general overview of Simpler Living, Compassionate Life click here.

In this section: “Excerpt from The Overworked American” by Juliet Schor (33-37); “The Spirituality of Everyday Life” by Cecile Andrews (37-41); “Entering the Emptiness” by Gerald May (41-51); “Contemplation and Ministry” by Henri Nouwen (52-58)

This section invites the reader into a greater thoughtfulness in conception and use of time. The opening excerpt from The Overworked American reveals the age of this collection in a way that few other essays throughout the work do. Written in the earliest years of the technological revolution, it fails to address the multitasking and attachment to technology that we experience in everyday life.

Cecile Andrews and Henri Nouwen offer insightful reflections on the need for mindfulness and contemplation. Nouwen believes that those involved in pastoring need contemplation to see and respect the complexity of the world and to position one’s obedience toward God.

Gerald May’s essay on emptiness and “the myth of fulfillment” speak to the universal experience of longing. He critiques popular religion that offers false promises of blissful contentment, arguing that “we were never meant to be completely filled..In this way we participate in love becoming life, life becoming love.” (47) While I found a number of May’s arguments to be compelling, I was deeply troubled by May’s note that “oppression by other humans…can teach the secret (hope of emptiness).”(48) He goes on to quote Frederick Douglass, but does not condemn oppression seen throughout the world as an incarnation of evil. There seems to me to be a very dangerous romanticization of oppression and failure to confront the horrific history of slavery in this statement, which could fall dangerously into ideology asserted by many in the nineteenth century that somehow slavery was “beneficial.”

Despite my concern with May’s essay, this section on the whole encourages individuals to embrace and cultivate quiet time and space in their lives. Its placement within the book suggests that simple living needs reflection on how a lifetime is spent.