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REVIEWS
Bible and Ecology:
Preaching Creation:
Richard Bauckham, Darton, Longman & Todd (2010)
John Holbert, Cascade Books (2012)
In this scholarly yet accessible book, New Testament expert
Richard Bauckham expands on his 2006 Sarum Theological
Lectures, tellingly entitled ‘Beyond Stewardship: The Bible
and the Community of Creation’. Too often, he argues,
Christian understanding of the relationship between
humankind and the rest of creation has been limited to the
idea of dominion, as found in the early chapters of Genesis.
And, in the history of the West, dominion has sadly been
implemented far more as domination than as responsible
stewardship.
This is a fairly short but very learned book. The author’s
main purpose is to examine selected portions of both the
Old and New Testaments in order to discover what they
have to say about the crucial subject of creation. Holbert
then relates these ideas to issues that concern us in the
twenty-first century: ecology, global warming, climate
change and resource use, to name but four. Holbert
considers these issues ‘the most important cluster of
concerns that we humans are facing’ and that it is vital
for all of us, whether