The Care of Creation: Focusing Concern and Action

by R. J. Berry (Editor)

Overview

• A 2003 Templeton Foundation Book of Distinction

"God intends . . . our care of the creation to reflect our love for the Creator," writes John Stott in the foreword to this book.

For the theologians and scientists who have contributed to this book, the care of creation is both crucial to human survival and a supreme test of the reality of Christian faith. Their concern reflects not just the selfish interest of the developed North. Nor is it merely a minority enthusiasm, peculiar to bird-watchers and tree-huggers. Rather, it stems from God's creation commands, from Christ's reconciling work, and from what should be a communion of worship between the human and natural worlds. There is now a belated and increasingly evident humility abroad, which recognizes that scientific and political solutions alone are inadequate.

The Care of Creation starts from the Evangelical Declaration on the Care of Creation of 1994, which has been endorsed by several hundred church leaders throughout the world. This book is a stimulating and provocative international commentary by leading theologians and environmental practitioners.

Contributors include: Richard Bauckham, R. J. Berry, Calvin B. DeWitt, Susan Drake, Timothy Dudley-Smith, Ron Elsdon, John Guillebaud, Peter Harris, John T. Houghton, Alister E. McGrath, I. Howard Marshall, Jürgen Moltmann, Michael S. Northcott, Oliver M. T. O'Donovan, Ghillean T. Prance, Stephen Rand, Ronald J. Sider, Howard J. Van Till, Lynn White, Loren Wilkinson and Richard T. Wright.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780830815562
Publisher:	InterVarsity Press
Publication date:	06/13/2000
Edition description:	Special Edition
Pages:	213
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Berry is professor of genetics at University College London and a past president of the British Ecological Society, the Linnean Society, and Christians in Science. He is author of God and the Biologist and coauthor of Science, Life and Christian Belief (both IVP/United Kingdom). He also wrote a popular account of the environment of the Orkney Islands, Orkney Nature, and several other books are articles.

Table of Contents

Foreword - John Stott

Part I: Rationale
An Evangelical Declaration on the Care of Creation: The Text

Part II: Context
1. The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis - Lynn White Jr.
2. Biblical Foundations for Creation Care - Ronald J. Sider
3. The Making of the Declaration - Loren Wilkinson
4. Creation's Environmental Challenge to Evangelical Christianity - Calvin B. DeWitt
5. The Declaration Under Siege - Richard T. Wright

Part III: Commentary
6. The Stewardship of the Creation: An Evangelical Affirmation - Alister E. McGrath
7. "Where Were You . . . ?" - Oliver M. T. O'Donovan
8. Commitment to Creation - I. Howard Marshall
9. Stewardship and Relationship - Richard Bauckham
10. God's Covenant and Our Responsibility - Jürgen Moltmann
11. The Earth Under Threat - Ghillean T. Prance
12. A Universal As Well As an Evangelical Declaration - Howard J. Van Till
13. Our Common Future - John T. Houghton
14. A New Look at Old Passages - Peter Harris
15. Love Your Neighbour As Yourself - Stephen Rand
16. The Declaration in Practice: Missionary Earth-keeping - Susan Drake Emmerich
17. Population Numbers and Environmental Degradation - John Guillebaud
18. Eschatology and Hope - Ron Elsdon
19. The Spirit of Environmentalism - Michael S. Northcott

Part IV: Conclusions
The God Who Set the Stars in Space - Timothy Dudley-Smith

Notes

Bibliography

The John Ray Initiative

General Index

Index of Bible References

What People are Saying About This

Calvin B. DeWitt

Human beings have become the predominant destructive force on earth. With power of hands and minds amplified by machines, our impact exceeds that of great floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. The time has come when we can envisage the end of nature; the time has come to realize that we are able to destroy the earth.

Editorial Reviews

"Human beings have become the predominant destructive force on earth. With power of hands and minds amplified by machines, our impact exceeds that of great floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. The time has come when we can envisage the end of nature; the time has come to realize that we are able to destroy the earth."

Calvin B. DeWitt

"The book is a commentary on the Evangelical Declaration on the Care of Creation [and] does a good task of unpacking the various aspects of the Declaration. I found the book very easy to read and interesting to read as the various authors write from different perspectives."

Mutsugoro blog