Greening The Children Of God

Greening the Children of God uncovers the theological roots of the growing ethical imperative to reconnect children to their natural environment. In their different traditions, theologians, environmental educators and psychologists all affirm that knowing their place in the natural environment helps a child develop an intersubjective ‘ecological’ identity that nurtures virtues of mutuality and care. During the Scientific Revolution this ethical harmony was threatened as science and moral theology began to adopt different epistemological methods, something the Anglican priest and poet Thomas Traherne was all too aware of. Traherne insisted that education should promote a child’s attention to the moral dimensions woven into ‘the tapestry of creation’, and professed that play, wonder, and a sensory relationship to diverse creatures play a pedagogical role in a child’s moral formation. Greening the Children of God establishes the contemporary significance of Traherne’s moral theory in conversation with child psychologists, educators, philosophers, and theologians who know that cultivating a place-based relationship to the local ecology helps children perceive creation’s deep mutuality and develop a moral identity in the image of a caring Creator.

Interdisciplinary and interfaith essays exploring the religious and spiritual implications of human interaction with nature and the environment.

God's world was created "very good," Genesis chapter 1 tells us, and in this book Jon Garvey rediscovers the truth, known to the Church for its first 1,500 years but largely forgotten now, that the fall of mankind did not lessen that goodness. The natural creation does not require any apologies or excuses, but rather celebration and praise. The author's re-examination of the scriptural evidence, the writings of two millennia of Christian theologians, and the physical evidence of the world itself lead to the conclusion that we, both as Christians and as modern Westerners, have badly misunderstood our world. Restoring a truer vision of the goodness of the present creation can transform our own lives, sharpen the ministry of the church to the world of both people and nature, and give us a better understanding of what God always intended to bring about through Christ in the age to come.

“The world’s fair beauty set my soul on fire.” In this first study of the full range of Traherne’s poetry Richard Willmott explains his ‘metaphysical’ poetry to all who are attracted by the beauty of his language, but puzzled by his meaning. He offers guidance both for the student of English, uncertain about Traherne’s theological ideas, and the student of theology, put off by seventeenth-century poetic conventions and diction. Using a wealth of quotation, he examines Traherne’s verse alongside that of a variety of his contemporaries, including Andrew Marvell, Lucy Hutchinson, Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor. Central to Traherne’s poetry and generous theology is his delight in the capacity of his soul to approach God through an appreciation of His infinite creation. This soul is ‘voluble’, not only because it can express its thoughts with fluency, but also because it can enfold within itself the infinity of God’s creation, taking in everything that it perceives, considering the latest scientific speculations about the atom and astronomy, but also looking clear-sightedly at Restoration society’s materialism and – in one startlingly savage satire – the corruption of the royal court.

The Greening of Protestant Thought traces the increasing influence of environmentalism on American Protestantism since the first Earth Day, which took place in 1970. Robert Booth Fowler explores the extent to which ecological concerns permeate Protestant thought and examines contemporary controversies within and between mainline and fundamentalist Protestantism over the Bible's teachings about the environment. Fowler explores the historical roots of environmentalism in Protestant thought, including debates over God's relationship to nature and the significance of the current environmental crisis for the history of Christianity. Although he argues that mainline Protestantism is becoming increasingly 'green,' he also examines the theological basis for many fundamentalists' hostility toward the environmental movement. In addition, Fowler considers Protestantism's policy agendas for environmental change, as well as the impact on mainline Protestant thinking of modern eco-theologies, process and creation theologies, and ecofeminism.

You are concerned about the care of creation, and you want to help. Take a year and green your church! Here you will find step by step approach to greening your church. You will gain insight and inspiration from the people in the book who are succeeding in developing a creation consciousness in their congregations. Develop one in yours, too. Includes examples of sustainability in the scriptures, challenges at home, and success stories from a variety of denominations. Order today and help your congregation take its first steps toward being a Green Church. "I can't imagine a church of any size that will not benefit from using this book. It is lively, easy to read, and wonderfully practical. Get it and use it!" J. Ellsworth Kalas, author of Parables From the Back Side To help your congregation understand more about what it means to be a green church and to live green from a theological perspective check out the Green Church resources from Rebekah Simon-Peter and for all age levels.

"God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good." -Genesis 1:31 What the Bible says about taking care of the earth. From extreme weather events to oil spills to climate change, Planet Earth is in the news. What does this mean for Christians and how does it impact the life of faith? Green Church answers these questions in ways both hopeful and engaging. Citing both Scripture and science, Rebekah Simon-Peter weaves together personal stories of Sabbath, gardening, recycling, mentoring, and the power of faith. She challenges us to consider our role in the care of creation and to help steward the earth for future generations. Includes Green Facts, Spotlight on Science and Greening the Church follow up steps. Use as a stand-alone book, small group selection or as part of a church wide campaign. You can study the book by yourself or get a small group together at your church and work through the book together using the Green Church Leader Guide. Use the resources for Children and Youth at the same time for a churchwide study. Whether reading the book on your own or participating in a study, don't forget to get a copy of 7 Simple Steps to Green Your Church, which will show you how to implement a green plan at your church. Be sure to Like Green Church at www.Facebook.com/GreenChurch "What a remarkable Book! Green Church is the most direct, attractive, and no-nonsense argument I have yet seen for the holy obligations to Christian greennes. This and its companion volume, 7 Simple Steps to Green Your Church, should be 'must reads' for every church in North America." ~ Phillis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why

Have you ever wondered what an oak tree would say? Or how a fork would sing? Or perhaps what a furnace would eat? These questions and many more are posed, pondered, and beautifully paraded across the page in this charming poetry book about childhood wonder. Read along in this world of whimsy as the seemingly ordinary objects around you turn into fascinating characters with just a little bit of curiosity and a whole lot of imagination.