The biblical call for Christians to steward God’s creation is clear. However, concern for the environment has become so aligned with politics that Christians have been frequently paralyzed on the topic.
In Today’s Conversation with NAE President Walter Kim, Sandra Richter, an Old Testament scholar and author of “Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters,“ starts with the Bible and explains how ancient Israel related to the environment.
Sandra also discusses:
How theology bears on our understanding of creation care;
Which ancient Israel practices apply to modern agriculture;
How the Sabbath practice relates to caring for creation; and
Why it’s important to care for the earth in the context of Revelation 21.
Read a Portion of the Transcript
Walter: This expansive view, both theologically and practically, of the Sabbath is really game changing. The Sabbath, in this description, is not merely a time where we stop, go to church or rest or watch football; the Sabbath here is something that is much more expansive.
Sandra: Yes, I think the Sabbath on so many fronts in our current generation is just critical for our well-being as people, as the Church, as communities because what the Sabbath principle shouts at us constantly is “Stop. Rest. Stop consuming. Stop producing.” I think this is a huge critique of American culture. I think we have been trained since the most tender of age to squeeze every ounce out of every minute, out of every hour, out of every resource and as a result we are killing ourselves. And not only are we killing ourselves, but we are killing our planet as well.
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Today’s Conversation is brought to you by Youth Theology Network.
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Sandra Richter is an Old Testament scholar, author, professor and international speaker. Her latest book is titled “Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters.” Richter is an expert in environmental theology, Hebrew language, the Deuteronomistic history, and the ancient Israelite society. She has taught many courses at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wesley Biblical Seminary and Wheaton College. Through her years as a professor, she has also lead student groups in archaeological excavations in Israel. Richter is a graduate of Valley Forge University and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She also earned her doctorate in Hebrew Bible from the Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Department of Harvard University.
Walter Kim became the president of the National Association of Evangelicals in January 2020. He previously served as a pastor at Boston’s historic Park Street Church and at churches in Vancouver, Canada and Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as a campus chaplain at Yale University. He preaches, writes and engages in collaborative leadership to connect the Bible to the intellectual and cultural issues of the day. He regularly teaches in conferences and classrooms; addresses faith concerns with elected officials and public institutions; and provides theological and cultural commentary to leading news outlets. He serves on the boards of Christianity Today and World Relief and consults with a wide range of organizations. Kim received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, his M.Div. from Regent College in Vancouver, and his B.A. from Northwestern University.
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