1. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, by Elizabeth Kolbert
The Sixth Extinction won the Pulitzer Prize when it was published 10 years ago, but I was only recently introduced to it this year when author Elizabth Kolbert gave a lecture at Wake Forest University. The book is a riveting account of the previous 5 mass extinctions and a cautionary tale about the 6th extinction, which has already begun to take place.
There are so many fascinating aspects of this book, but let me tell you about just one-- the historical and etymological evolution of the term “extinction” itself. It wasn’t until the 18th century that anyone considered the possibility there were species that once lived, but no longer existed. People assumed that what we had is what has always existed. But when the first mastodon’s molars were discovered, questions arose. Georges Cuvier, a French naturalist, eventually proposed a theory that the bones belonged not to a giant elephant, but to another species entirely that no longer lived on the earth. He spent the rest of his life uncovering a growing list of extinct species.
Since the origin of life on earth 3.8 billion years ago, our planet has experienced five mass extinction events. The last of these events occurred some 66 million years ago when a six-mile-wide asteroid is thought to have collided with earth, wiping out the dinosaurs. The Cretaceous extinction event dramatically changed the composition of biodiversity on the planet.
Kolbert, who blends technical science with lucid historical and personal narratives, makes the case that humans are causing the latest, the sixth extinction which will likely wipe out 20-50 percent of all species currently existing. She presents a sobering argument that humans are the catalysts for this extinction, altering the world in ways not seen for 66 million years.
2. Celtic Nature Prayers, Text by Kenneth McIntosh, Prayers compiled by Lucie Stone
Current C3 chairperson, Lea Slaton, introduced Celtic Nature Prayers to me, a wonderful little book filled with poems and prayers from the Celtic tradition. If you are one of those persons who feels closer to God in nature than a man-made sanctuary, you might appreciate this collection. It’s the kind of book you would to keep by your bedside, open up along with your morning coffee, or perhaps even better, put in your backpack as you hike trails through God’s glorious creation
Celtic Prayers contains 5 chapters introducing a different theme, followed by prayers and poems from the Celtic Christian traditions. Those chapters are:
Finding God in Nature
The Blessings of the Earth
Prayers for the Planet
Learning from Nature’s Wisdom
Worshipping God in Nature
This is a book which gives voice to the deep resonances our souls have with nature. When we are awed into wordlessness, a beautiful thing in itself, Celtic Prayers offers words for the coo of a baby, the brilliance of a sunset, the sound of a creek and the song of a lark. God and nature, God in nature, becomes the trail to an intimate experience with the Holy Other who has come close.
3. Green Like God, by Jonathan Merritt
Jonathan Merritt comes from the Christian evangelical tradition, the tradition most likely to deny climate change and dismiss modern scientific theories. That’s why this 168 book is such an important bridge to this community. It presents a credible case for taking climate change seriously and caring for God’s creation from an evangelical perspective. Merritt writes in simple, casual prose, much like an essay in USA Today, and draws on the Protestant Bible to make two fundamental points, dividing the book into two parts correspondingly. First, he explores the “hidden truths in God’s Word” (although they are not so hidden from those outside the evangelical tradition) to reveal that God created the world and has made humanity caretakers over it. Second, he argues that people of faith who are called to care for the weak, poor and marginalized, should recognize how their behaviors can help or harm these fellow human beings. Perhaps more importantly, Merritt is courageous enough to call out his own tribe for their disconnect from their own faith tradition. He confronts Christian evangelicals in the church and political world to honor their Scriptures in acknowledging God as Creator who has a plan for the earth which includes people of faith taking care of it and caring for the poor especially. While Merritt includes enough science to justify his appeal, the greater thrust of this book is theological and biblical. He connects the dots in a cogent way to make a compelling argument for Christians, especially those who hold to an authoritative Bible, to be at the forefront of the environmental movement of our times.
4. From Nature to Creation: A Christian Vision for Understanding and Loving Our World, by Norman Wirzba
Norman Wirzba is my “go-to” theologian, which is why I was so honored when he agreed to be the theological consultant for C3 in our early days. From Nature to Creation is his opening salvo and concise introduction to his thinking and theology. This book, part of a larger series edited by James K.A. Smith entitled “The Church and Postmodern Culture,” is an apologetic argument for a worldview that sees nature as creation. In other words, this is not merely a natural world in which we live, spontaneously erupting from chemical and physical forces. It is the loving creation of a God who desires and intends to have a relationship with all its sentient and even non-sentient beings.
If you are interested in listening in on a conversation that includes ancients like Augustine, Origen and Aquinas along with modern-day deconstructionists like Derrida and Foucault, this book will be very satisfying. Wirzba is making the case that deconstructing a theological worldview in order to reduce it to its material parts leads to nihilism and meaninglessness. At the same time, Wirzba undermines the popular notion that the whole purpose of the Christian life is to escape this world of tribulation and enter into the pearly gates of heaven in a place far away. Against both of these positions, Wirzba offers a third way, a way of living in a world filled with beauty and love, despite the many trials and tribulations one finds along the journey. Knowing where we are (God’s Creation as opposed to a natural conglomeration of matter) and knowing who we are (God’s beloved stewards of Creation) provides the foundation for living the fullest, most abundant life possible.
This is a wonderful book for those who want to think and ponder the deep elements of our existence on earth in conversation with some of the most influential voices on the world stage of history.
5. Down to Earth: Religious Paths toward Custodianship of Nature, by Clifford Chalmers Cain
The name of our organization Christians Caring for Creation, was not chosen to imply that only Christians are to care for creation. Nearly all faith traditions have a resilient thread connecting the care of the earth to the fullest expression of faith. I chose the name because Christians are my “tribe” and I believe we have been negligent in fulfilling a mandate of God’s mission in the world. Furthermore, since Christians are the largest faith group in the world, there is little hope of addressing the existential environmental crises facing us today without the involvement of Christians.
Clifford Cain has given us a wonderful gift in Down to Earth, providing a concise and cogent summary of other religious paths calling humanity to act as stewards of the earth. Drawing Those other faith traditions to which he devotes a chapter to each are: Judaism, Islam, Indigenous Peoples/Native Americans, Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism. He doesn’t leave Christianity out, offering a chapter for it as well.
In a pluralistic society, such as ours, it’s important that we have an accurate understanding of people of other faiths. And in a world facing existential environmental crises, it’s crucial that we learn from one another and collaborate with one another to address them. Christians need not feel they are compromising their faith commitments when learning and seeing the positive traits of other faith traditions. Using an abundance of references to the Qur’an, Cain helps us see Muslims not as threat to global tranquility, but as partners in environmental stewardship. The indigenous populations of the Americas might be the best example of living in harmony with the earth. In this chapter, Cain captures some of the majestic prose of indigenous leaders as they pass down their wisdom to their own people and those infiltrating their lands. Christian humility ought to lead us examine the deficiencies in our own theological frameworks, in contrast to the Native Americans who are habitually better stewards of the land, sky and sea.
This 156 page book will be enjoyed by those who care about the earth and are curious what other faith traditions teach their adherents about doing the same.
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