Creation Care Discipleship: Why Earthkeeping Is an Essential Christian Practice

CREATION CARE DISCIPLESHIP: Why Earthkeeping Is an Essential Christian Practice by Steven Bouma-Prediger. Baker Academic, 2023. 213 pages. Paperback; $25.99. ISBN: 9781540966322. *Steven Bouma-Prediger is a religion scholar at Hope College, Michigan, and a well-known theologian who has written about the need for Christians to care for the environment. In his latest book, Bouma-Prediger summarizes the main arguments for earthkeeping and illustrates them with personal testimonies, which make for a delightful and convincing read. He utilizes a pastoral tone that does not water down the scientific content while backing up his arguments with abundant footnotes and Christian meditations from scripture at the end of each chapter. The author presents earthkeeping as a practice solidly rooted in the Bible, Christian theology, and tradition, that is demonstrated in several Christian communities. In short, he maintains that "care for the earth and its flourishing is part and parcel of what it means to be a Christian" (p. 3). *Earthkeeping is a concept related to creation care that, in Bouma-Prediger's mind, is better than stewardship. Stewardship in English "churchy" jargon often minimizes the inherent value of the environment, seeing nature as a collection of resources to be exploited. By using the word earthkeeping, the author emphasizes the meaning of Genesis 2:15: "to take care of the garden." *After clarifying why we should read his book in the first chapter, Bouma-Prediger walks us through selected scriptural passages about nature in the second chapter. We realize the strong connection between us and the other creatures and God's provision to all the created order. He also emphasizes the need to revise our view of the end times. If Christians see the future as living in an immaterial heaven, the earth is not worth saving. With a proper reading of scripture, we understand that God loves his creation, and he expects us to care for it. *The third chapter delves into theological aspects of earthkeeping, in which the author dismantles an accusation that it implies pantheism. Christian theology removed gods from nature but did not remove nature's sacredness. No creatures are gods, but they still have value to God. The pillage of nature cannot be justified. A biblical meditation from the book of Job centers on the use of Leviathan and Behemoth to understand ecological hospitality. The lengthy descriptions of these creatures (assumed by the author to be the crocodile and the hippopotamus) are a reminder that "we humans are not at the center of things" (p. 82). God cares for these creatures even though they are not designed for our specific use. *Chapter 4 borrows relevant teachings about nature conservation from different theologians influential in the history of the Christian church. He quotes Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew I, H. Paul Santmire, Rosemary Radford Ruether, and Randy Woodley. Their views represent diverse theological positions: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Ecofeminism, and Native American Christian, respectively. The chapter ends with excerpts from the "Joint Message for the Protection of Creation," a document written in 2021 by the heads of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches. *Bouma-Prediger gives a practical guide in chapter 5 to describe what to do in our earthkeeping ministry. We should start with reflections on scripture and rescuing Christian tradition in our relationship with the natural world. Living simply is a virtue to cherish, and avoiding overconsumption minimizes severe damage to the environment. "Remember that you have never seen a hearse with a luggage rack" (p. 137) is a phrase that admonishes us not to be greedy with the environment. The disconnection of humans with nature is regarded as "ecological homelessness," which should be counteracted by developing the virtue of caring for creation. *In the author's discussion of environmental justice and environmental racism, he points out that the consequences of pollution and resource depletion are suffered unequally by specific human communities. To be aware of these injustices, we should educate ourselves on how to manage the earth wisely and not abuse its resources. In this way, we will develop ecological consciousness. This section finishes with several ways we can practice earthkeeping as individuals and as a community, after we have learned how to practice gratitude, generosity, and the sabbath rest. *The last chapter presents a biblical statement of shalom: "It is not just about reconciliation between people or reconciliation between humans and God. It is about flourishing of all the earth" (p. 187), where God's creatures, including plants and animals, praise the Lord. *An important omission from this book that is essential to understanding the value of creation care was Lynn White Jr.'s criticism of Christian theology as an exploiter of nature in his influential article "The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis."1 Some may argue that much of the "greening" of theology was a response to this article, which corrected a misunderstanding of "dominion" and the stewardship mandate in scripture. *Bouma-Prediger's assertion that the afterlife will be "earthy" may not be acceptable to some evangelical groups. If we do not go to heaven and heaven comes to us, then the "left behind" theology is wrong, requiring us to value this earth and not consider it disposable. "An escapist eschatology implies an ethics of neglect and exploitation" (p. 69). *The author's endorsement of positions considered by many as extreme will also be controversial. For example, he quotes the environmental activist and writer Wendell Berry several times, once saying that the destruction of nature is "the worst horrid blasphemy" (p. 39). Most Christians would probably take issue with that statement. He also quotes the African American theologian James Cone, who accuses conservationists of being racists if they do not fight against white supremacy. Environmental racism is a possible root of injustice and nature destruction in some cases but conflating it with white supremacy does not help the Christian cause. *These controversial topics do not diminish the book's value as an excellent pastoral and academic resource for Christians and anyone interested in conserving nature. Bouma-Prediger is highly qualified to teach us about creation care and the different ways to engage in earthkeeping. His masterful biblical exegesis is persuasive in making the case that the environment should matter to Christians regardless of their political perspectives. I highly recommend this book. *Note *1Lynn White Jr., "The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis," Science 155, no. 3767 (1967): 1203-7, https://archive.org/details/HistoricalRootsOfEcologicalCrisisV. *Reviewed by Oscar Gonzalez, associate professor of biology and coordinator of the Environmental Science Program, College of Arts and Sciences, Anderson University, SC 29621.