This three-part post was originally published in Preaching Magazine
In 1843, Ludwig Feuerbach proclaimed, "Nature, the world, has no value, no interest for Christians. The Christian thinks only of himself and the salvation of his soul." Feuerbach wasn't the only one to claim such a thing. In the 1967 issue of Science, Lynne White Jr. released his now-infamous paper, "The Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis." In it, he labels Western Christianity "the most anthropocentric religion the world has ever seen."
Setting aside questions about the biblical validity of such claims for a moment, one can identify where Feuerbach and White might form such opinions. The Christian notions of "dominion" and "earth stewardship," unless effectively understood and taught by the church, easily can become human-centered perversions of God's intent for creation.
"The biblical claim that humans have dominion over creation has shaped the typically western 'instrumentalist' view of nature: that the natural world exists solely to meet human needs," writes Douglas J. Moo in the September 2006 issue of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society.
One might think the church would improve in light of recent environmental problems. Today, more than a billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water; entire species are being driven to oblivion at rates more than one hundred times faster than natural extinction; air pollution has produced record high childhood asthma rates in many U.S. cities; toxic levels of mercury appear in the fetal cord blood of one out of six newborns; and the treatment of animals in factory farms continues to challenge our civilized sensibilities.
Surely, the church is speaking about the Bible's stance on caring for creation in the midst of these circumstances, right?
Wrong.
Many pastors in the Christian church in America continue to avoid addressing these topics at all costs. According to LifeWay Research, about half of all Protestant pastors in the United States say they speak to their church about creation care "rarely" or "never." That percentage rises to 77 percenet for evangelical church pastors only.
Unfortunately, this avoidance has been felt by our congregants, many of whom now possess little, none or skewed understandings of what the Bible says about caring for creation.
A growing number of Protestant pastors and leaders from various traditions have opened their eyes to the many biblical texts that explain God's plan for our planet. Pastors such as Rick Warren, Rob Bell, John Stott, Eugene Peterson, Tim Keller and Bill Hybels already have preached on these texts. Thinkers such as Alister McGrath, N.T. Wright and Francis Schaeffer have written extensively on them. Their eyes were opened, and their mouths could no longer remain shut.
Unfortunately, these men are the exception rather than the rule. As a result, many Christians remain unequipped to defend the idea of biblical stewardship. A recent Barna poll shows that Christians are one of the least likely groups to recycle. One modern historian adds, "Indifference toward the environment, or at least toward claims of environmental crisis, abounds in fundamentalist Protestant writings."
I think it is time for many church leaders to step back and study the Bible's many passages that reveal God's intentions for creation. Perhaps pastors need to begin rediscovering God's Word on this subject.
Order a copy of my new book, Green Like God Unlocking the Divine Plan for Our Planet
Marion Gunderson said:
Jonathan,
Just finished reading Green Like GoD. Congratulations! It's a book that needed to be written. I have been SO frustrated as a Christian that so few clergy and congregants are unpursuaded than God calls us to care for Creation.
I admire your courage for holding up God's Word in a gentle but straightforward way for His people to understand and begin to act upon. Christians are latecomers to the environmental movement when we should have been the leaders!
In Christ,
Marion (member, Faith Baptist Church, Youngsville, NC)
Posted: April 26, 2010