Between Heaven and Earth: Christian Perspectives on Environmental Protection

The Invisible Church

Finding Spirituality Where You Are

J. Pittman McGehee and Damon J. Thomas

"In these troubled times, the call of the soul---the desire to find spiritual fulfillment and meaning---has never been more powerful. Or more important. Yet that call is in danger of being drowned out by a culture obsessed with fame and wealth, and leery of religious charlatans offering salvation to the highest bidder. Filled with insight and sharp wit, The Invisible Church quiets the din and offers a path to a deeper, richer, more transcendent life."

Arianna Huffington

Ignoring the Apocalypse

Why Planning to Prevent Environmental Catastrophe Goes Astray

David Howard Davis

"David Davis, long one of our leading scholars in energy politics and policy, has produced a remarkable analysis of the history and politics of the four apocalyptic problems facing the United States and the world today. This book brings together comprehensive overviews of the history and politics of four different problems that could precipitate a planetary apocalypse. Davis analyzes the difficulties of developing policy in each issue area and provides important insights into the politics of apocalyptic problems."

Mary M. Timney

Professor of Public Administration, Pace University

Author of Power for the People: Protecting States' Energy Policy Interests in an Era of Deregulation

Where God and Science Meet

How Brain and Evolutionary Studies Alter Our Understanding of Religion

Patrick McNamara

"Scientists and religionists who read these volumes and attempt dialogue may begin to overcome the segregation evident in the field and reflected here. Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty/researchers."

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? Should we continue to try to "save the Earth," and if so, why? Finally, how do we create a framework in which we can understand a right way to connect religion, environmental ethics, and environmental care?

There are many books on Christian environmental ethics, but none provide 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.

Fred Van Dyke is professor of biology, chair of the Department of Biology, and director of the environmental studies program at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. His published works include Conservation Biology: Foundations, Concepts, Applications and Redeeming Creation: The Biblical Basis for Environmental Stewardship.