Planetwise

Planetwise
David Bookless
IVP, Nottingham 2008

I think David Bookless's Planetwise is an important book because it makes the case that green issues are something that Christians - and evangelical Christians in particular maybe, people who put the full-orbed biblical gospel at the centre of their lives - should be concerned about.

In the first five chapters of the book, Bookless makes the biblical and theological case that that an interest in environmental causes is not something on the periphery of the Christian faith, but actually is a central implication of the Christian gospel.

The argument runs as follows. As people who understand that the world has been created by God and is still owned by God (Psalm 24:1-2), as people who believe that God has given humanity the world to look after and steward on his behalf (Genesis 1:27-28), as people who believe that the saving purposes of God are not about rescuing us from the cosmos, but of redeeming and renewing the cosmos itself and as part of it (Genesis 9:10, John 3:16, Colossians 1:20, Revelation 21:1-3) - we need to see looking after the planet God gave us as an integral part of living as kingdom people who trust in and serve Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord. Too often, evangelicals have given the impression that we are about saving souls for heaven, and treating the world in any way we want since it's all going to be destroyed anyway. Such views, whether stated or merely lazily assumed are dishonouring to Christ, by whom and for whom the world was made (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16), and contrary to the truth of the gospel.

In the final four chapters of the book, Bookless draws out a number of practical implications for how we should then live out our lives as Christian disciples, stewarding the creation as God wants us to. These chapters really made me think about how I live and I have to say that since reading them, some of my behaviour has changed, even if only in little ways to begin with - like not leaving the TV on standby and only filling the kettle with what I need. Much more information and many more suggestions are available through the website of the Christian ecological charity A Rocha and its Living Lightly initiative, both of which David Bookless is heavily involved with.

Any Christian interested in green politics would benefit from the biblical and theological case put forward in Planetwise; any Christian who thinks concern for the environment is part of a liberal or even "new age" agenda needs to read this book now.