Inter-Varsity Press

'Human beings have become the predominant destructive force on earth. With power of hands and minds amplified by machines, our impact exceeds that of great floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. The time has come that we can envisage the end of nature; the time has come to realise that we are able to destroy the earth.' - Calvin DeWitt

For the distinguished contributors to this book creation care is a matter of human survival and a supreme test of the reality of Christian faith. Such care is not the selfish interest of the developed North. Nor is it a minority enthusiasm peculiar to bird-watchers and tree-huggers. Rather, such concern comes from recognising God's creation commands and what should be a communion of worship between the human and natural worlds. There is a belated and increasingly evident humility abroad that scientific and political solutions alone are inadequate.

The Care of Creation addresses a requisite ethical and essentially religious response to our global environmental crisis. It incorporates the 1994 'Evangelical Declaration on the Care of Creation', since endorsed by several hundred church leaders throughout the world. The book also provides a stimulating and provocative international commentary by leading theologians and environmental practitioners.

Commendations

"The essays in the Commentary section are all different. Here are the openings of two of them; 'As a Christian who is deeply involved in environmental matters ... I really welcome the Declaration" (Ghillean Prance); 'When I saw the Declaration my heart sank. Here we go again I thought, with yet more well-honed phrases in a virtual vacuum and another delayed bandwagon for the lame to leap on' (Peter Harris).

"It's the diversity that makes the book so enjoyable. There is criticism of Evangelicals for being too Evangelical, and of Evangelicals for not being Evangelical enough. The 'Christian Right' is chastised for being uncaring, and for avoiding its responsibilities because things will all be put right at the Second Advent.

"All of that comes from an Evangelical stable, and under the guiding hand of the Evangelical Professor R J ('Sam') Berry. But Christians of other traditions are not castigated for lack of concern for God's world. That is not because we do not deserve it; it is because the writers are too generous." Revd Jeremy Craddock, Church Times, October 2000

"...a vital step forward. The evangelical stand on the environment has gone from being an embarrassed apology for abuses in the name of God to a positive and confident assertion that only Biblical Christianity provides a firm basis to tackle our planet's growing crisis." Chris Walley, Evangelicals Now, November 2000