Is Jesus Green? by Matt Carter (self-published, 2009)This book was the first I read regarding a Christian’s perspective on environmentalism. It’s short—not an intimidating read at all—which is probably why I gravitated toward it among the stack of books I had purchased. I had no idea what I was getting into: Does ecology even have a place in Christian theology? I wasn’t sure, so I bought books from a range of voices to start digging in.
For Carter, “green” is defined as actively caring for the environment, an idea he finds woven through several proof texts in Scripture. So he opens his book with this statement: “By drawing out general, biblical principles regarding environmental concern, we are preparing ourselves to carry out God’s mission for His people in caring for the earth in our own contexts” (p. 8).
He tries to draw out these “biblical principles,” touching on verses in the Pentateuch, heavily drawing from the Psalms, and leaning on Paul’s teachings about creation in Romans. And while Carter makes some decent points—e.g., God values creation, so we should too (see Psalm 104:10-15, 24-28; 145:15-16; 147:9; Matthew 10:29-31)—it seems his points, like his book in general, fall short.
There’s a reason this book is approachable word-count-wise: it’s undeveloped. Important points are made with too little explanation, which left me with too many questions: Where do we see in Scripture God’s explicit desire to redeem nature? . . . Is God restoring the Earth now? Or restoring us and, perhaps, we are to work to help restore the Earth? . . . Is God still involved in/with the care of the environment?
I’m finding answers to my questions, but unfortunately, not in this book. So while I think it’s an easy-to-follow introduction to creation care, I don’t think Is Jesus Green? is the book I’d recommend to someone really wanting to understand the nuances of a “green” theology. I do appreciate some of the practical aspects of his book, however, like his part 2 guide (which reads more like a checklist) for making church facilities more “earth-friendly.”
Hope this helps as we continue our journey toward A Hopefull World. 💛
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