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 “,“ 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.
Sandra Richter is an Old Testament scholar, author and professor. She serves as the Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies at Westmont College. Richter is an expert in environmental theology, Hebrew language, Deuteronomy, the Deuteronomistic History and the intersection of biblical studies and archaeology. She has taught at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wesley Biblical Seminary, Wheaton College and Westmont College. Richter serves on the New International Version Committee for Bible Translation and is the author of several books, including “The Epic of Eden,” “Stewards of Eden” and “The Epic of Eden: Psalms.” She graduated from Valley Forge University, earned a master’s degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and received a doctorate in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.
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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