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A Restored Creation: A Theological Case for Caring for the Earth / By Ryan Rindels

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Finding the words “Christian” and “Conservative” in close proximity is expected. Rearrange the letters a bit and you’ll find a term popularly dubbed an enemy of the faith: Conservation. Okay, well “enemy” might be a bit hyperbolic, but suspicion and dissonance typically exists between Christianity, Ecological movements, and their respective adherents.

In most evangelical circles, the lines are strictly drawn between tending to the spiritual needs of an individual (namely salvation) and secondly, to their physical needs. As for the ecological realm of life, the majority of Christians give little regard. Christ came to redeem people and his salvific work has nothing to do with the natural world. Whatever the planet yields is to be used for mankind’s good, whatever the cost. There is (at least functionally) no intrinsic value in non-human creation. Devoting efforts to recycling, preservation or considering ethics in agriculture is irrelevant.

Contrastingly, the conservation movement is typified in naturalists, transcendentalists, and pantheists of various kinds: “dirt worshippers,” “tree huggers,” or just simply “hippies.”

Maintaining a worldview that emphasizes oneness with nature, these adherents stress the fact that humanity, lacking uniqueness or value that the biblical account claims, has no right to manipulate natural resources to its own end. In these circles, it’s often proclaimed, “We’re no more special or valuable than the rest of the physical universe and therefore, we should live in unity with it.”

But the Bible says people were uniquely made in God’s image. Animals and plants glorify God through order and instinct but are not capable of relating to their creator intimately as humans are.

It is true that humans are the sole image bearers and the crowning work of God’s creation. What constitutes the imago dei is disputed, however. There are three dominant views: Substantive, Functional and Relational. These include intrinsic qualities such as reason, our role in dominion over creation (what we do) and our relationships—both with God and with each other. These unique qualities comprise the “image” and set us apart.

Most Christians eschew environmentalism. The line is drawn between animal rights activist who vehemently defend the right to abort infants and Christians who defend life and disregard any cause related to the environment.

God declares human life infinitely valuable. The precedent to preserve image bearers over the rest of creation still stands. A right biblical understanding however, supports care, management, and preservation of the earth as well.

It is an error to disregard the rest of God’s work because 1) everything in creation is intrinsically good because God called it so (Genesis 1:31) and 2) there is a divine mandate for the stewardship of creation (Genesis 2:15). Everything God made has value. Humans are responsible for their actions. This comes from the covenantal relationship of man with his creator. In the garden, Adam and Eve were accountable for their disobedience, disobedience with implications (sin) that permeate all of creation.

Adam’s role as false witness bears relation not only to God but to the whole creation, since he represents all human beings and humankind collectively as the chief of the rulers over the other creaturely realms. The creation has been placed at the disposal of Adam in a state of integrity, with a commission to be a steward. But now this power, too, is twisted by perversity of will. Every sign of human oppression, violence, idolatry and immorality in the world can be seen as the perversion of the original good.[1]

Salvation is not an escape from creational life into “spiritual” existence; it is the restoration of God’s rule over all of creation and all of human life. Neither is salvation simply the restoration of a personal relationship with God, important as that is. Salvation goes further—It is the restoration of the whole life of humankind and ultimately of the nonhuman creation as well. This is the scope of biblical salvation.[2]

Waste and excess are the salient features of 21st century America. Americans consume more petroleum products, own more vehicles, dispose of more trash than most of the world. The pursuit and practice of indulgence is unequivocally condemned in scripture.

Even for those who avoid waste and live modestly, time and energy spent on natural preservation is all too often understood as irrelevant to their faith.

The theology of all Christians affects how they treat this world they live in. The scope of Christ’s redemptive work is popularly understood to be relevant to our “personal” salvation—nothing more.  But this is a definite misunderstanding. Scripture asserts that the Fall affected the entire creation. We read in the book of Romans:

“For the anxious longing of the creation wait eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subject to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation suffers and groans the pains of childbirth together until now.” –Romans  8:19-22

The work of Christ is far-reaching. It’s bigger than us. It’s universal in scope. Because everything God has made is good, we have a reason to care for the creation. Recycling, clean energy etc.—these are good things. The images of heaven in Revelation parallel that of Genesis precisely because it’s going to be a restored, perfected Eden –just as God planned.

Of redeemed creation C.S. Lewis eloquently says,

The Theologians tell us that she, like ourselves, is to be redeemed. The ‘vanity’ to which she was subjected was her disease, not her essence. She will be cured in character: not tamed (Heaven forbid) not sterilized. We shall still be able to recognize our old enemy, friend, playfellow and foster-mother, so perfected as to be not less, but more, herself. And that will be a merry meeting.[3]

The earth we live in gives us glimpses of a heaven to come. We should not treat creation as an intrinsic enemy at odds with our spiritual life. Christ’s work restores all things, both material and spiritual. We have biblical reasons to care for and maintain this planet just as Adam did in paradise. We can do it joyfully for the glory of God.  


[1] Michael Horton, The Christian Faith: A systematic Theology for Pilgrims along the way (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011), 411

[2] Craig, Bartholomew, Michael Goheen, The Drama of Scripture: Finding our Place in the Biblical Story (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004), 199.

[3]C.S. Lewis, Miracles 105

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Ryan resides in Mill Valley, CA where he is working on his Master of Divinity from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. He graduated from California Baptist University in 2008 and then served for two years as a missionary with International Mission Board in Suriname, South America. He leads evangelism teams locally during the week and is involved in ministry at a local church.



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