Called to Stewardship of Creation: American Evangelical Protestant Perspectives on the Environment
The Bible tells us that "love does no harm to its neighbor" (Romans 13:10), yet the way we live now harms our neighbors, both locally and globally. For the world's poorest people, climate change means dried-up wells in Africa, floods in Asia that wash away crops and homes, wildfires i...
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2014
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.17615/02aq-pa69 https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/pr76f7373?file=thumbnail https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/pr76f7373 |
| Summary: | The Bible tells us that "love does no harm to its neighbor" (Romans 13:10), yet the way we live now harms our neighbors, both locally and globally. For the world's poorest people, climate change means dried-up wells in Africa, floods in Asia that wash away crops and homes, wildfires in the U.S. and Russia, loss of villages and food species in the Arctic, environmental refugees, and disease. Our changing climate threatens the health, security, and well-being of millions of people who are made in God's image. The threat to future generations and global prosperity means we can no longer afford complacency and endless debate. We as a society risk being counted among "those who destroy the earth" (Revelation 11:18) -200 evangelical scientists to Congress, July 10, 2013 The excerpt above comes from a July 2013 letter from a group of 200 evangelical scientists addressed to Congress.1 Perhaps surprisingly, the letter expresses the opinion that Bible-believing Christians have the responsibility to take part in fighting the destruction of the natural environment. And I argue that in recent years, many evangelical Christians have begun to do just that. This thesis examines these recent developments in American evangelicalism by highlighting the specific ways in which evangelicals frame their discussions of the natural world and environmental issues. I conducted ethnographic interviews2 with individuals from local churches to add depth and context to denominational statements, publications, and other literature from evangelicals writing to a national audience. I argue that American evangelicals increasingly understand the natural environment in theological ways that call for its protection as a moral issue. Key themes in evangelical environmental discussions include creation, stewardship, experiencing God in nature, redemption of creation, creation care as a mission opportunity, and individual accountability. Bachelor of Arts |
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