Evangelical

“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.

Evangelical Environmental Network: Resource Page

One book recommended by EEN. Image courtesy of creationcare.org.

The online resource page for the  Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN) offers many helpful resources for clergy and lay persons looking to engage their faith with care of the environment.

This page gives introductory resources for those entering the conversation as well as practical implementation of creation care. Sermon starters and devotionals provide links for personal or community consideration of scripture and environment.  It also links to books recommended by the EEN in Creation Care, Food and Food Policy, National Parks and Public Lands, Sustainable Business, and Children’s books. This section of the page may be especially useful for those looking to do a book study in creation care.

Click here to be directed to the EEN’s resource page.

Podcast: Young Minds Big Questions – An Interview with Brian McLaren

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Young Minds Big Questions (YMBQ) describes itself as a podcast “about challenging Christians to wrestle through doubts, fears, and questions. We talk apologetics, theology, and philosophy.”

“Climate Change and Christianity – An Interview with Brian McLaren” was released on April 26, 2017 and is part one of a two part conversation on climate change and Christianity. Guest, Brian McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. His work as a pastor led him to begin writing, and he has published numerous books on faith and Christian life.

McLaren unpacks some of the science of global climate change, and its everyday effects for human life around the world. Looking at the dangers of a changing climate, McLaren turns to faith as the inspiration for advocacy and change. In his own words, “Ultimately, climate change is a spiritual matter.” McLaren attributes reluctance to accept or take action to prevent climate change in part to a certain kind of eschatology.  He then goes on to discuss instances in which average congregations inspired by care for God’s world made real changes to combat climate change. The podcast concludes with McLaren’s own recommendations for any Christian wanting to learn more about creation care.

Find this episode of YMBQ  on apple podcasts here,  Youtube here, and on other podcast providers. For more information on Brian McLaren, click here to be directed to his personal website.

Evangelical Environmental Network Moms

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The Evangelical Environmental Network Moms is a new resource from EEN. It is specifically for busy moms and is meant to offer easy, downloadable bible studies. The first resource being offered is “Healthy Creation= Healthy Children” and can be downloaded now. To learn more or download it, click here.

Young Evangelicals on Paris Withdrawal

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Young Evangelicals for Climate Action made a statement saying President Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement is a moral travesty. They stated that the decision not only damages America’s reputation abroad, but its economic competitiveness in the coming clean energy revolution. To read the full statement, click here.

Evangelical Environmental Network Climate Videos

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The Evangelical Environmental Network has collected a selection of videos on climate change and how it relates to the Bible. These videos include The Gospel Call to Creation Care, Accelerating Risk: Climate Change and International Conflict, Witness to Climate Change, and more. To watch these videos, click here.

Caring For Creation Pledge

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The Caring For Creation Pledge is a pledge created by the Evangelical Environmental Network. It states that a person will pledge to keep an open mind and speak up, to support a price on carbon, to acknowledge that climate change isn’t just a ‘liberal issue’, and to sign the Joseph Pledge.  To read in more detail and sign this pledge, click here.

Mercury and the Unborn

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The Evangelical Environmental Network has made a video and corresponding statement about the impacts of mercury on the unborn. Evangelical Christian’s believe that all human life is sacred and every person is of equal value, and therefore is worthy of protection. This protection includes mercury poisoning which has become a problem because of power plants and the pollution they cause. To watch this video and read the statement from evangelical leaders, click here.

Why Creation Care Matters

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Why Creation Care Matters is an article that describes what creation care is, what nature worship is, how to treat non-human creation, and how it relates to God and the Evangelical Environmental Network. To read this article, click here.