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.