Interview : Dave Bookless
We are delighted to have Dave Bookless , writer of Preach magazine ’ s Creation Care column , as our LWPT interviewee .
Dave is Director of Theology for A Rocha International . He has spoken at creation care events in 40 countries and 6 continents , and contributed to or written over 20 books , including Planetwise . As a Catalyst for Creation Care for the Lausanne Movement , he co-led a global campaign on ‘ Creation care and the Gospel ’, engaging Christian leaders from over 100 countries .
Dave Bookless
Dave has a PhD from the University of Cambridge on biblical approaches to wildlife conservation and is an ordained Anglican , assisting in a multi-racial church in London . Dave was born and raised in India to missionary parents , is married to Anne with whom he has 4 grown-up daughters . He enjoys birding , running , mountains , islands and cooking Indian food .
What do you enjoy most about preaching ?
I love the challenge of taking a passage of scripture and prayerfully applying it to a particular context . That involves letting the passage ‘ soak in ’ – rereading it multiple times , seeing how it relates to the ‘ big story ’ of God ’ s purposes from creation to new creation , and pondering how it speaks to today ’ s context – socially / politically / ecologically – as well as to individuals and local churches .
I ’ ve had many influences , including the Indian mystic and evangelist Sadhu Sundar Singh , and Martin Luther King , but overall , John Stott ’ s probably been the biggest influence on my preaching with his concept of ‘ double listening ’ – seeking to hold together the Word and the world and let them interrogate each other .
What do you consider is the most significant challenge facing preachers today ?
I think their biggest challenge is protecting time to reflect and prepare properly . The pressures of professional ministry , the temptation to get
ideas online or even AI , rather than wrestle with the passage yourself , and a soundbite social media culture , which oversimplifies and stirs up extreme views , can all be toxic for preaching .
I love taking scripture out for a walk or a run – reading a passage and then reflecting in a quiet space in creation . If that method was good enough for Jesus …
Which is your favourite hymn and why ?
My favourite worship song keeps changing , and often relates to my vocation in creation care , so ‘ So Will I ’ and ‘ Let all creation sing ’ ( Doxecology ) are recent favourites .
I also go back to the hymns that shaped my early Christian life , including ‘ And can it be ’ where the lines ‘ my chains fell off / my heart was free / I rose , went forth and followed Thee ’ can still make me well up .
‘ Faithful One ’ holds a special place too , ever since we sang it at the funeral of our daughter 30 years ago and have seen God ’ s faithfulness in multiple ways since .
How could churches reach out to their communities and bring more people into their fold ?
Inevitably , my key message to churches is to demonstrate the good news of Jesus in caring for creation . I spoke at a Christian youth festival in Germany last year , where everybody seemed to be an eco-activist but almost none related it to their faith .
Churches need to recognise that the passion in the hearts of young people for a sustainable , beautiful and just world comes from God ’ s Holy Spirit . Once young people see that God shares that passion , and when churches start modelling and advocating for creation care , I believe we could see new Kingdom life springing up all over the place !
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