Popular Books on the Environment of Interest to Christians
Introduction
The books selected for this list are designed for a wide readership. They are not written by professional theologians for an academic audience. For more in-depth theological discussions, see Resource Guide #4, "Theological Perspectives on the Environment." The books in the following list are nevertheless thought provoking and challenging. In general, they are more practical and down-to-earth than the majority of theological works. Most are written by Christians for Christians, but some are not. Yet all contain valuable insights and constructive ideas to help Christians think about and become active in caring for God's creation. Since the books overlap the categories listed below, the categories are only suggestive of the contents of each book.
"You shall not pollute the land in which you live. . . . You shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I also dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the Israelites." (Numbers 35:33-34 NRSV)
Biblical Basis for Creation Care
The Biblical Jubilee and the Struggle for Life, by Ross Kinsler and Glova Kinsler (Orbis, 1999).
Cherish the Earth: The Environment and Scripture, by Janice E. Kirk and Donald R. Kirk (Herald Press, 1993).
The Earth is the Lord's: The Bible, Ecology, and Worship, by Dianne Bergant (Liturgical Press, 1998).
God's World: A Biblical Theology of the Environment, by Ken Gnanakan (SPCK, 1999).
Project Earth: Preserving the World God Created, by William B. Badke (Multnomah, 1991).
Redeeming Creation: The Biblical Basis for Environmental Stewardship, by Fred Van Dyke, David C. Mahan, Joseph K. Sheldon, and Raymond H. Brand (IVP, 1996).
Thorns in the Garden Planet: Meditations on the Creator's Care, by Vera C. Shaw (Nelson, 1993).
No More Plastic Jesus: Global Justice and Christian Lifestyle, by Adam Daniel Finnerty (Orbis, 1977).
Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, by Ronald J. Sider (Word, 1990).
Simpler Living Compassionate Life: A Christian Perspective, ed. Michael Schut (Living the Good News, 1999).
Earthkeepers: Environmental Perspectives on Hunger, Poverty, and Injustice, by Art Meyer, Jocele Meyer, Calvin DeWitt (Herald Press, 1991).
Exhortations to Care for Creation
Best Preaching on Earth: Sermons on Caring for Creation, ed. Stan L. LeQuire (Judson, 1996).
Creation in Crisis: Responding to God's Covenant, by Shantilal P. Bhagat (Brethren Press, 1991).
Earth-Careful Way of Life: Christian Stewardship and the Environmental Crisis, by Lionel Basney (IVP, 1994).
How to Rescue the Earth Without Worshipping Nature: A Christian's Call to Save Creation, by Tony Campolo (Nelson, 1992).
Bent World: A Christian Response to the Environmental Crisis, by Ron Elsdon (IVP, 1981).
Brother Earth: Nature, God and Ecology in Time of Crisis, by H. Paul Santmire (Nelson, 1970).
Care of Creation: Focusing Concern and Action, ed. R. J. Berry (IVP, 2000).
Caring for Creation: Responsible Stewardship of God's Handiwork, by Calvin B. DeWitt (Baker Books and the Center for Public Justice, 1998).
Christianity and Ecology, by Elizabeth Breuilly and Martin Palmer (Cassell, 1992).
The Church and the Ecological Crisis, by Henlee H. Barnette (Eerdmans, 1972).
God is Green: Ecology for Christians, by Ian C. Bradley (Image Books, 1992).
Loving Neighbors Across Time: A Christian Guide to Protecting the Earth, by Robert Parham (New Hope, 1991). Includes tips.
To Heal the Earth: A Theology of Ecology, by Frederick Quinn (Upper Room, 1994).
While Creation Waits: A Christian Response to the Environmental Challenge, by Dale Larsen and Sandy Larsen (Harold Shaw, 1992).
Insights from Other Perspectives
Closing Circle, by Barry Commoner (Knopf, 1971).
Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit, by Al Gore (Houghton-Mifflin, 1992).
The End of Nature, by Bill McKibben (Random House, 1989).
A God Within, by Rene Dubos (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1972).
The Immense Journey, by Loren Eiseley (Vintage Press, 1957).
The Population Bomb, by Paul R. Ehrlich (Rivercity Press, 1971).
The Quest, by Tom Brown, Jr. (Berkley Publisher Group, 1996).
A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There, by Aldo Leopold (Oxford University Press, 1949).
Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson (Houghton-Mifflin, reprint 1994).
Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered, by E. F. Schumacher (Harper and Row, 1973).
The Voice of the Desert, by Joseph Wood Krutch (William Sloan Associates, 1955).
The Wilderness of John Muir, ed. Edwin Way Teale (Houghton Mifflin, 1954).
At Home in the Cosmos, by David Toolan (Orbis, 2001).
Biology Through the Eyes of Faith, by Richard T. Wright (HarperSanFrancisco, 1989).
Eco-Theology: The Judeo-Christian Tradition and the Politics of Ecological Decision Making, by Orin Gelderloos (Wild Goose Publications, 1992).
Beyond the Modern Mind: The Spiritual and Ethical Challenge of the Environmental Crisis, by Douglas C. Bowman (Pilgrim Press, 1990).Earth Age: A New Vision of God, the Human and the Earth, by Lorna Green (Paulist Press, 1993).
We Are at Home: A Spirituality of the Environment, by Shannon Jung (Paulist Press, 1993).
Caring for Creation in Your Own Backyard: Over 100 Things Christian Families Can Do to Help the Earth, by Loren Wilkinson and Mary Ruth Wilkinson (Servant, 1992).
Earth Keeping: Making It a Family Habit, by Sydney L. Donahoe (Zondervan, 1990).
How to Make the World a Better Place: 116 Ways You Can Make a Difference, by Jeffrey Hollender (Norton, 1995).
Animal Rites: Liturgies of Animal Care, by Andrew Linzey (SCM Press, 1999).
Nature, God & Pulpit, by Elizabeth Achtemeier (Eerdmans, 1992).
EarthCare Resource Guide no. 5
August 2001
This guide was compiled by Richard Alan Young, author of Healing
the Earth and Is God a Vegetarian?. It is a publication
of EarthCare, Inc., 2201 Spencer Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37421-2433; http://www.earthcareonline.org
Email: ;
Phone: Chattanooga, TN: (423) 697-2560; Dalton, GA (706) 278-3979
Availability: Books that are still in print can be purchased
through local bookstores or through the internet at www.amazon.com
or www.bn.com. Books that are
out of print can often be purchased from used bookstores through
www.bookfinder.com. Many
of the books can be loaned from libraries in your area (often
through the interlibrary loan system).