Library

The EarthCare Library contains books, kits, periodicals, and videotapes for the purpose of Creation care education. Our library is currently housed at the Jones Memorial United Methodist Church library.

The library is open 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday  (except National holidays). Any questions please contact the EarthCare librarian Jack Pierce or call the church office at (423) 624-6073.

Achtemeier, Elizabeth.  Nature, God & Pulpit (Eerdmans, 1992)

Achtemeier draws together and interprets biblical materials on the relationship between God and His creation with a view to help the church and especially preachers express a Christian concern for the environment.  She offers a homiletical corrective to contemporary preachings avoidance of the issue and gives pointers for developing sermons about creation care.

Animals on the Agenda, edited by Andrew Linzey and Dorothy Yamamoto (University of Illinois Press, 1998)

The best collection of essays about animals and Christianity to date.  The essays discuss animal sacrifice, Jesus and animals, Aquinas and animals, do animals have souls, will animals be saved, and many other interesting gems.

Badke, William B.  Project Earth: Preserving the World God Created (Multnomah, 1991)

Badke argues for Christians to take care of the environment based on five witnesses of creation. He tries to resolve the tension between human use and environmental concerns, and he sees everything revolving around divine-human relationship.

Basney, Lionel.  Earth-Careful Way of Life: Christian Stewardship and the Environmental Crisis (InterVarsity, 1994)

This is a well written book from an evangelical English professor at Calvin College that regards the environmental crisis as also a cultural and spiritual crisis.  It contains many suggestions that can lead to an earth-careful way of life.

Beisner, E. Calvin.  Where Garden Meets Wilderness (Eerdmans, 1997)

A recent book written from an economist's viewpoint by an economics professor at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA.  He advocates a pre-market economy without constraints.  Economic incentives are suggested to promote environmental conservation.

Bergant, Dianne.  The Earth is the Lord's: The Bible, Ecology, and Worship (Liturgical Press, 1998)

A brief, well researched and careful study that interacts with recent scientific principles and biblical themes in order to discover how they might help to fashion liturgical perspective that is faithful to the biblical faith.

Breuilly, Elizabeth, and Martin Palmer.  Christianity and Ecology (Cassell, 1992)

This book is produced in conjunction with the World Council of Churches.  It discusses how the Bible has influenced Christian belief about the world and then draws insights from the orthodox tradition as well as from Benedictine monasticism and Francis of Assisi.  It ends with the church's role regarding the environment.

Campolo, Tony.  How to Rescue the Earth Without Worshipping Nature: A Christian's Call to Save Creation (Nelson, 1992)

Campolo argues that Christians should lead the crusade to save the planet, but he is careful to distinguish it from pantheistic approaches.  He offers suggestions and individuals who want to be responsible stewards of creation.

Caring for God's World: Creative Ecology Ideas for Your Church, edited by Kristen Kemper (Prescott, AZ: Educational Ministries, 1991)

This is an invaluable resource guide that provides a wealth of how-to environmental ideas for various church activities, such as vacation Bible school programs, plays, special projects, worship services, youth programs, and other church activities.

Commoner, Barry.  Closing Circle (Knopf, 1971)

This is an early, pioneering work by a leading scientist.  Upon publication, this book was the most important statement made up to that time on the nature, cause, and possible solution to the impending environmental disaster that humans have created with their technology and that threatens to destroy their society.

Derr, Thomas Sieger.  Ecology and Human Need (Westminster, 1975)

Derr attempts to balance environmental concern and human need.  He contends that the Bible teaches anthropocentricism, but without the notion of human dominance over nature.  His major concern is justice for the poor and oppressed.

Devall, Bill, editor.  Clearcut: The Tragedy of Industrial Forestry (Sierra Club Books/Earth Island Press, 1993)

A large and beautifully photographed documentation of industrial forestry's clearcutting.  It is arranged by topic and by states, which include Tennessee and the chip mill deforestation, and Canadian provinces.

DeWitt, Calvin B.  Caring for Creation: Responsible Stewardship of God's Handiwork (Baker Books and the Center for Public Justice, 1998)

The second annual Kuyper Lecture of the Center for Public Justice looks at a Christ-centered response to environmental degradation, including soil erosion, deforestation, global toxification, and species extinction.

DeWitt, Calvin B.  Earth-Wise: A Biblical Response to Environmental Issues (CRC Publications, 1994)

Calvin DeWitt has written a group study guide which blends the scientific, biblical, and practical together in a very accessible manner.  Ideal for church study groups.  Has questions for reflection.

Directory of Environmental Activities and Resources in the North American Religious Community (Joint Appeal by Religion and Science for the Environment, 1992)

This is a directory of religious involvement in environmental matters by churches and para-church organizations around the country.  It tells what the churches and organizations are doing and as such is a valuable source of ideas of what churches in our area can do.  In addition, it has an annotated list of books, articles, and AV resources.

Donahoe, Sydney L.  Earth Keeping: Making It a Family Habit (Zondervan, 1990)

This is a user-friendly book full of ideas about how Christians can practice good stewardship of the environment in and around the home including transportation and shopping.  There is a glossary of terms and resources where people can purchase environmentally friendly products. 

Dubos, Rene.  A God Within (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1972)

Dubos, a microbiologist and Pulitzer Prize winning author, has written a profound book that aims toward an ecological ethic with theological overtones.  A classic in the field.

Elsdon, Ron.  Bent World: A Christian Response to the Environmental Crisis (InterVarsity, 1981)

Elsdon documents the present environmental situation and attributes it to the effect of sin and especially human greed.  He also looks to the Christian concept of salvation as the hope for creation.

Evangelical Environmental Network Kit:

(1) "Biblical Roots: A Pastor's Sermon-Writing Kit"; (2) "Garden of God:  Selections from the Bible's Teaching about the Creation"; (3) "God's Earthkeepers: Biblical Action and Reflection on the Environment"; (4) "Let the Earth Be Glad: A Starter Kit for Evangelical Churches to Care for God's Creation"-3 copies; (5) "Seeds of Worship: Creating Opportunities to Worship God as Creator"; (6) Supporting Branches: Linking Creation-Care to the Core Ministry of the Church" (Evangelical Environmental Network, 1992)

Finnerty, Adam Daniel.  No More Plastic Jesus: Global Justice and Christian Lifestyle (Orbis, 1977)

Finnerty calls Christians to examine their affluent over-consumption, pollution, waste, and military spending.  It is a call to the practice of eco-justice and simple lifestyle. A challenging book.

Gelderloos, Orin.  Eco-Theology: The Judeo-Christian Tradition and the Politics of Ecological Decision Making (Glasgow, Scotland: Wild Goose Publications, 1992)

Gelderloos is a professor of biology and environmental studies at the University of Michigan and member of the Christian Environmental Council.  He presents a fresh reading of biblical texts concerning the environment and re-examines post-Enlightenment interpretations in light of Judeo-Christian faith.

Gore, Al.  Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit (Houghton-Mifflin, 1992)

Considering the importance of Al Gore, this stand on environmental issues is important reading.

Gottfried, Robert R.  Economics, Ecology, and the Roots of Western Faith: Prospectives from the Garden (Rowman & Littlefield, 1995)

Robert Gottfried, a professor of Economics at the University of the South, has integrated biblical wisdom, ecology, and economics into a provocative and practical framework to understand the issues Christian face today.

Granberg-Michaelson, Wesley.  Ecology and Life: Accepting Our Environmental Responsibility (Word, 1988)

The first eight chapters are by Granberg-Michaelson, and the last seven are a collection of key articles by various writers, including Lynn White, Francis Schaeffer, Vincent Rossi, and Paul Santmire.

Helmuth, Keith.  "If John Woolman Were Among Us" (Canadian Quaker Pamphlet No. 32, 1987)

This brief booklet gathers the insights of John Woolman about the environment and poses the question of how he would respond to today's degradation of the earth.  Full of practical wisdom for ecologically conscious persons.

Hollender, Jeffrey.  How to Make the World a Better Place: 116 Ways You Can Make a Difference (Norton, 1995)

The book mainly consists of a list of over a hundred actions that people can take to alleviate environmental degradation.  The actions are not simply listed but are discussed in considerable detail.

Hyland, J. R.  God's Covenant with Animals: A Biblical Basis for the Humane Treatment of All Creatures (Lantern Books, 2000)

The book unveils the progressive unfolding and understanding of God's revelation about animals for a lay readership.  It contains many interesting and provocative thoughts.

Krueger, Frederick W.  Lord's House: A Guide to Creation Careful Management of Church Facilities (Green Cross, 1995)

The guide focuses on energy conservation, landscaping, and the purchasing and use of materials with an aim to reduce environmental impact by churches.  It contains many helpful ideas and worksheets to aid ecology groups in their efforts to make their church environmental friendly.

Krueger, Frederick W., editor.  Christian Ecology: Building an Environmental Ethic for the Twenty-first Century.  The Proceedings from the first North American Conference on Christianity and Ecology (San Francisco: The North American Conference on Christianity and Ecology, April 1988). 

The proceedings from the first North American Conference on Christianity and Ecology are in summary form for each of the dozens of speakers participating.  It includes photos and offers ideas for staging a conference.

Land, Richard D., and Louis A. Moore, editors.  Earth Is The Lord's: Christians and the Environment (Broadman, 1992)

This is a collection of essays by evangelical Baptists which originated in a Southern Baptist seminar on the environment.  It covers the theological, ethical, and homiletical aspects of Christianity's position on the environment.

Larsen, Dale, and Sandy Larsen.  While Creation Waits: A Christian Response to the Environmental Challenge (Harold Shaw, 1992)

This is an easy to read presentation of an evangelical approach to the environment.  It covers a wide range of questions that conservative Christians are likely to ask.

Leopold, Aldo.  A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There (Oxford University Press, 1949)

This is a classic of environmental writings and should be read by all.  Heartwarming, inspiring, and prophetic.

LeQuire, Stan L., editor.  Best Preaching on Earth: Sermons on Caring for Creation (Judson, 1996)

Philip Yancey, John Stott, Madeleine L'Engle, Ron Sider, Harold Dean Trulear (one of our EarthCare Conference speakers), and Calvin DeWitt ("The Price of Gopher Wood" is outstanding) are some of the contributors.  The book is divided into six parts: (1)  Is caring for creation really a biblical agenda?, (2) Isn't our primary calling to fulfill the Great Commission?, (3) Aren't pandas more important than people?, (4) We aren't "into nature"-what about the city and its problems?, (5) Isn't the environment just one more crisis among many?, and (6) How can I challenge my congregation to get involved?  "More sermon ideas" are included in one of the appendixes.

Linzey, Andrew.  Animal Gospel (Westminster John Knox, 1998)

Unlike Linzey's other books, Animal Gospel is addressed to lay readers.  The purpose of the book is to help the church realize that Christ's work on the cross pertains to more than people: it pertains to all creation, including animals.

Nash, James A.  Loving Nature: Ecological Integrity and Christian Responsibility (Abingdon, 1991)

This is a well written, comprehensive, and theologically sound response to the environmental crisis which Nash says is rooted partly in flawed convictions about the rights and powers of humanity in relation to the natural world.  His central theme is based on the Christian concept of love in an ecological context.

Oelschlaeger, Max.  Caring for Creation: An Ecumenical Approach to the Environmental Crisis (Yale University Press, 1994)

The author argues that because the church is the repository of moral values that lie outside the economic paradigm, it alone can provide the social/political leadership and power to move our society to ecological sustainability.

Osborn, Fairfield.  Our Plundered Planet (Little, Brown, 1948)

A very early, highly acclaimed, and almost prophetical call to environmental responsibility, almost two decades before Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.

Parham, Robert.  Loving Neighbors Across Time: A Christian Guide to Protecting the Earth (Birmingham, AL: New Hope, 1991)

The author lays a biblical foundation for creation care.  He gives an overview of the causes and dangers of environmental degradation and then outlines what churches an individuals can do to help attain a sustainable future for our descendents.

Santmire, H. Paul.  Nature Reborn: The Ecological and Cosmic Promise of Christian Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2000)

Building on his conclusion in The Travail of Nature that we have inherited an ambiguous legacy toward the environment, Paul Santmire revisions Christian environmental theology by retrieving responsible themes from our tradition. 

Santmire, H. Paul.  The Travail of Nature: The Ambiguous Ecological Promise of Christian Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1985)

In this groundbreaking work Paul Santmire traces the Christian attitude toward the environment throughout church history.  In this even-handed historical assessment he concludes that the Christian attitude toward nature has been at best ambiguous.

Schaeffer, Francis A.  Pollution and the Death of Man: The Christian View of Ecology (Tyndale, 1970)

This is one of the first Christian books on the environment, which still contains many important insights for today.  Schaeffer advocates the possibility of substantial healing through caring for creation.

Schultz, Forrest W.  "The Ecological Dimension of Human Vicegerency."  Master of Theology Thesis (Philadelphia: Westminster Theological Seminary, 1971)

In this Master's thesis (Westminster Theological Seminary), Schultz argues that environmental ethics is based on God's delegating responsibility to humanity for the care of creation.  Humans are vice-regents under God.

Schut, Michael, editor.  Simpler Living Compassionate Life: A Christian Perspective (Denver: Living the Good News, 1999)

A collection of excerpted writings from various authors is organized by different topics in simplicity which range from time, money, food, politics, social justice, history, worldview, and community.  The writers include Cecile Andrews, John B. Cobb, Jr., Wendell Berry, Richard J. Foster, Henri Nouwen, Alan Durning, David Shi, Shantilal Bhagat, Calvin DeWitt, among others.  There is a study guide at the end of the book, which can be used for small groups.

Selected Proceedings of the EarthCare Conferences, 1996-1997 (transcribed copy)

Transcriptions from previous EarthCare Conferences.  The presenters include David Crockett, Charlie Howell, Fred Krueger, Ron Manahan, Charles Maynard, Dean Trulear, Laura Young, and Richard Young.

Shaw, Vera C.  Thorns in the Garden Planet: Meditations on the Creator's Care (Thomas Nelson, 1993)

A series of inspiring reflections based on biblical texts about the environment organized around fifteen themes rather than a day-by-day devotional.

Sider, Ronald J.  Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger (Word, 1990)

Sider challenges affluent Christians to consider the needs of the hungry and the poor.  He discusses conspicuous consumption, materialism, and even food consumption patterns.  A classic text in Christian lifestyle and simplicity of living.

Squiers, Edwin R, editor.  Environmental Crisis: The Ethical Dilemma (AuSable Trails, 1982)

An early collection of twenty-four essays on various topics related to Christianity and the environment, featuring such authors as Hans Schwarz, Loren Wilkinson, Calvin DeWitt, Wesley Grandberg-Michaelson, and Orin Gelderloos.

Van Dyke, Fred, David C. Mahan, Joseph K. Sheldon, and Raymond H. Brand.  Redeeming Creation: The Biblical Basis for Environmental Stewardship (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1996; donated by Richard Young)

This is a study by four evangelical biologists that addresses the current ecological crisis in the light of Scripture and theology.  It talks about population explosion, rainforest destruction of animal habitats, extinction of species, depletion of the ozone layer, and global warming. 

Wilkinson, Loren and Mary Ruth Wilkinson.  Caring for Creation in Your Own Backyard: Over 100 Things Christian Families Can Do to Help the Earth (Servant, 1992)

Loren Wilkinson (and Calvin DeWitt) came to our first EarthCare Conference in 1995.  Loren Wilkinson has contributed many years of research and action in the Christian environmental movement.  His depth of knowledge and practical suggestions will be appreciated.

Wright, Richard T.  Biology Through the Eyes of Faith (HarperSanFrancisco for Christian College Coalition, 1989)

Wright explores the biblical message of creation and relates it to contemporary concerns in medicine, genetics, and the environment.  The book demonstrates how biology contributes to the construction of a consistent Christian worldview.

Young, Richard A.  Healing the Earth: A Theocentric Perspective on Environmental Problems and Their Solutions (Broadman, 1994)

This book presents a theocentric perspective in contrast to anthropocentric and biocentric approaches.  It is a very biblical and readable contribution by one of the founders of EarthCare.

Young, Richard A.  Is God a Vegetarian? Christianity, Vegetarianism, and Animal Rights (Open Court, 1999)

The book encourages Christians to consider how the biblical narrative as a whole might inform one's dietary choices, which have a decided impact on the environment.  Young grapples with contrary texts that seemingly advocate meat eating.  Interesting and provocative.

Let the Earth Be Glad: An Evangelical Kit for Caring for Creation (Wynnewood, PA: Evangelical Environmental Network, 1996).  11 pamphlets/sheets; 1 cassette tape.  2 copies

Stewardship Week Church Leader Kit (PO Box 855, League City, TX 77574: National Association of Conservation Districts, 2002)

Christian Scholar's Review--Winter 1998 (whole issue on environment)

Creation Care--Spring 1998, Summer 1998, Fall 1998, Spring 1999, Winter 1999

Creation Illustrated--Fall 1995 - Spring 1999 (13 issues)

EarthCare Times--Nov. 1996 - (see EarthCare Times folder in vertical file)*

Evangelical Review of Theology, v. 17(2), April 1993 (whole issue on environment)

Green Cross--Fall 1994, Summer 1995, Fall 1995, Winter 1995, Spring 1996, Summer 1996, Fall 1996, Winter 1996, Spring 1997, Summer 1997, Fall 1997, Winter 1997, Winter 1998

Journal of the American Academy of Religion--Summer 1997 (whole issue on environment)

Messenger: A Publication of Cornerstone College--v. 2(3)

WorldWatch--Nov. - Dec. 1989

*Newsletters for organizations go in the vertical file under organization's name 

Caring for Creation: A Noah's Ark for Our Time, with Rev. Dr. Joan Campbell (Evangelical Environmental Network, 1996) [no time given]

In God's Country: Keeping the World Beautiful and Clean for God's Glory (Waco, TX: Word Ministry Resources, 1994).  23 min.

Keeping the Earth: Religious and Scientific Perspectives on the Environment (Union of Concerned Scientists, 1996); Includes Discussion Guide.  27 min., color

Occupancy Sensors: A Common $ense Approach to Protecting the Environment (EPA, 1992) [no time given]