Religion and the environment have been in the news and continue to capture headlines, giving rise to many questions. Do Christians have a responsibility to address the global climate crisis? Are there any guidelines, “environmental virtues,” or behaviors that should direct human behavior toward the environment? And, most basically, should we continue to try to “save the Earth,” and if so, why?
There are many books on Christian environmental ethics, but none provides a clear and thorough analysis of the history of the church’s understanding of and practices toward the care of creation. In addition to filling this important void, Between Heaven and Earth: Christian Perspectives on Environmental Protection is also unique in at least two ways. First, it frames Christian responses to ethical questions as they are understood by modern conservation ethicists. Second, it addresses issues of conservation management and policy as they really exist.
This captivating volume begins by framing the complex interaction between ethics, environment, and faith and the relation of that interaction to questions of environmental ethics. Subsequent chapters illuminate a biblical understanding of the human relationship to nature and the church’s teachings and practices regarding that relationship, illustrated through the lives of scholars and saints. The book concludes with an examination of the ways in which Christian practice and teaching can shape environmental policy today and the ways in which partnerships can be built between the church and the environmental community.
