Let Creation Rejoice by Jonathan A. Mooand Robert S. White - EXCERPT

8122019 Let Creation Rejoice by Jonathan A Moo and Robert S White - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllet-creation-rejoice-by-jonathan-a-moo-and-robert-s-white-excerpt 119

L E T

C R E A T I O NR E J O I C E

b i b l i c a l

h o p e a n d

e c o l o g i c a l

c r i s i s

JONATHAN A MOO and ROBERT S WHITE

ldquoA helpful approach to serious problemsrdquo J o h n P o l k i n g h o r n e





L E T

C R E A T I O N

R E J O I C EBiblical Hope and

Ecological Crisis

JONATHAN A MOO

and ROBERT S WHITE

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions



InerVarsiy Press

PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094

Inerne wwwivpresscom

Email emailivpresscom

copy983090983088983089983092 by Jonahan A Moo and Rober S Whie

Published in he Unied Saes o America by InerVarsiy Press Downers Grove Illinois wih permission om Iner-Varsiy Press

Leiceser England

All righs reserved No par o his book may be reproduced in any orm wihou writen permission om InerVarsiy Press

InerVarsiy Pressreg is he book-publishing division o InerVarsiy Chrisian FellowshipUSAreg a movemen o sudens and

aculy acive on campus a hundreds o universiies colleges and schools o nursing in he Unied Saes o America and a

member movemen o he Inernaional Fellowship o Evangelical Sudens For inormaion abou local and regional aciviies

wrie Public Relaions Dep InerVarsiy Chrisian FellowshipUSA 983094983092983088983088 Schroeder Rd PO Box 983095983096983097983093 Madison WI

983093983091983095983088983095-983095983096983097983093 or visi he IVCF websie a wwwinervarsiyorg

All Scripure quoaions unless oherwise indicaed are aken om HE HOLY BIBLE NEW INERNAIONAL VERSIONreg

NIVreg Copyrigh copy 983089983097983095983091 983089983097983095983096 983089983097983096983092 983090983088983089983089 by Biblica Inctrade Used by permission All righs reserved worldwide

Cover design David Fasset

Inerior design Beh Hagenberg Images paper background copy omograiSockphoo

ree illusraion copy John_ WoodcockiSockphoo

birds copy dbencekiSockphoo

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983093983090-983094 (prin)

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983094983091983093-983094 (digial)

Prined in he Unied Saes o America infin

InerVarsiy Press is commited o proecing he environmen and o he responsible use o naural resources Asa member o Green Press Iniiaive we use recycled paper whenever possible o learn more abou he Green Press Iniiaive visi wwwgreenpressiniiaiveorg

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

A caalog record or his book is available om he Library o Congress

P 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089

Y 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092




Contents

Preace 983095

1048625 Apocalypse Now Living in he Las Days 10486251048625

1048626 Lie on Earh oday 104862610486251048627 Global Climae Change 983093983092

983092 Why Hope he Gospel and he Fuure 10486321048624

983093 Bringing New esamen Hope Down o Earh 983097983095

983094 Cosmic Caasrophe 10486251048625983093

983095 Jesus a hie in he Nigh and he Kingdom o God 104862510486271048625

1048632 Revelaion and he Renewal o All hings 1048625983092983094

983097 Finding Joy in an Acive and Living Hope 10486259830941048626

Aer word Pracical Resources 10486259830951048625

Noes 1048625983095983093Scripure Index 10486251048632983093




Preface

As we compose his preace we are nearing he close o anoher year and

in is mix o joys and sorrows in is hopes and disappoinmens i has

been a year much like any ohermdashor us and or all o lie on earh Ye in

wriing his book we have been orced o conron he realiy ha here

are also some hings abou his year and indeed abou every year nowha are unprecedened in he long hisory o human habiaion o his

marvelous plane o name bu one yphoon Haiyan hi he Philippines

wih record high wind speeds in excess o any previously recorded on land

Despie advance warning i killed housands and desroyed or damaged

he homes o more han 9830891048630 million people I is he wors naural disaser

ever o affec he Philippines

Droughs hea waves waer shorages ores fires hurricanes floodshe desrucion o naural habias rapid decline in he abundance and

diversiy o plan and animal liemdashsuch hings we know are no unique

o our ime Many imes in he hisory o our plane he inensiy and se-

veriy o such evens have in ac exceeded anyhing we experience oday

A volcano erups and wreaks desrucion across an area he size o he

Unied Saes emporarily changing he weaher across he enire globe

an aseroid his he plane and causes he exincion o unold numbers ospecies he earh wobbles in is orbi and he climae cools sending miles-

hick ice scouring he earh across coninen-size land masses housands

o years laer he climae warms unleashing floods o unimaginable size




983096 LET CREATION REJOICE

ha desroy all in heir pah and shape he landscape or eons o come

Such massive evens and large-scale processes humble us hey reveal o us

he orces ha have shaped our wondrous ruiul plane and hey cauionus agains exravagan claims abou he uniqueness o our own age

Ye wha is inescapably differen abou oday is ha never in he hisory

o human lie have so many people been so hreaened by he changes our

plane is undergoing never have some o he planeary changes we are

winessing occurred so quickly wih so litle ime or adapaion and

never beore has one species (us) been idenified as he primary cause o

such rapid large-scale changes I is his recogniion o our vulnerabiliyand our culpabiliy along wih he ear ha hings are on he verge o

geting much much worse and here is litle we can do abou i ha lies

behind he despair so prevalen in his age We increasingly observe he

empaion o such despair among scieniss environmenaliss hose

who work or developmen and aid agencies and even porions o he

general public In our own work and minisrymdashand indeed as we did

research or he science porions o his bookmdashwe have occasionally wresled wih such despair ourselves

Tis book hough is abou hopemdashand abou he only and ulimae

source o our hope We are wriing his preace no only oward he end o

anoher year in he secular calendar bu during he Chrisian season o

Adven I is a ime o darkness and o waiing or he ligh We yearn or

he coming o God in Chris or he coming o our Creaor Savior and

Lord and or he ligh and lie o he resurrecion and new creaion A heend o his season we celebrae he answer o his longing we celebrae he

coming o God himsel as he baby Jesus on he firs Chrismas Day We

winess in he birh o Jesusmdashand in his lie his suffering and his deahmdash

ha God is ruly wih us in our weakness in our suffering and in our

sorrow and we find in Jesusrsquo resurrecion he sure and cerain hope o his

coming again o he resurrecion and o he renewal o all hings In his

hope and hrough he lie-giving power o he Holy Spiri we are enabledo ace he messed-up broken world in which we live We are challenged

o go on aihully living ou and proclaiming he gospelmdashhe good news

abou Jesusmdasheven in an age o despair Te scope o his good news o




Preface 1048633

wha God has done and will do in Chris exceeds he capaciy o our imag-

inaions Ye we have become convinced ha however limied our abiliy

o envision our uure and he uure o lie on earh our age needs morehan ever or he church o regain is confidence no only in he personal

saving grace o God in Chris bu also in he renewal o he whole o he

creaed order ha he Bible ells us has been made possible hrough

Chrisrsquos incarnaion deah and resurrecion

As we say in he firs chaper i is our desire ha readers come away rom

his book wih a renewed appreciaion o he wonderul world ha God

has creaed as well as a firm undersanding o is presen condiion and hepoenial ha we have o affec i Bu mos o all we aim o encourage a

proound rus in he Creaor and Redeemer God whose aihulness is he

only and ulimae ground o our hope

In our work on his book we have been grealy helped by he suppor

we have received rom he Faraday Insiue or Science and Religion based

in S Edmundrsquos College Cambridge and rom he Kirby Laing Insiue

or Chrisian Ehics a yndale House also in Cambridge We are graeulo InerVarsiy Press and especially o Andy Le Peau as well as Philip Duce

o IVP-UK or heir close atenion o our manuscrip and insighul com-

mens Jonahan is graeul or he suppor o Whiworh Universiyrsquos

Faculy Faih and Scholarship Program or he many sudens lecure au-

diences and church groups who have ineraced wih some o he maerial

presened here and or he unsining suppor o his colleagues in he

Whiworh Universiy heology deparmen He would like especially ohank Jim Edwards Adam Neder and Jerry Sitser or reading porions o

his book and providing invaluable advice Jonahan also hanks his parens

Jenny and Doug Moo or heir ongoing suppor and or reading and com-

mening on porions o he book We are especially graeul o Rober

Nowak who provided criical deailed commens on several chapers ha

helped make he book beter han i would have been oherwise Sam

Berry also read several chapers and provided us wih some keen advice aa criical poin Roger Abbo Evan Durran and Sacey Moo each read he

enire manuscrip a a lae sage and we are very hankul or heir in-

sighul suggesions and commens Near he end o his projec Julian





Hardyman (senior pasor o Eden Bapis Church Cambridge) provided

helpul suggesions and advice And a he very beginning o his projec

Mark Ashon (hen vicar o he Round Church a S Andrew he GreaCambridge) challenged us o always keep our ocus on he gospel a chal-

lenge ha we have boh aken o hear We only wish he were sill alive o

ell us wheher he would coun our effors here a success

Finally we are hankul above all o our wives Sacey Moo and Helen

Whie or heir parnership love and suppor

Jonahan Moo and Rober Whie Adven 1048626104862410486251048627




1

Apocalypse Now

Living in the Last Days

Irsquos he end o he world as we know i

(and I eel fine)

REM

C983141983148983141983138983154983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 E983150983140

Norh Idaho is a hinly setled region o oress lakes and mounains nar-

rowly separaing he saes o Washingon and Monana in he norh-

wesern Unied Saes Known mosly or logging mining and oudoor

recreaion i is a beauiul place and I (Jonahan) am graeul o live no

ar away in Spokane Washingon Bu he wilds o Norh Idaho have an

unorunae repuaion or atracing radical secs and ringe groups o all

sors ranging rom religious culs o miliias o whie supremaciss Mos

inamously i was he sie o he 98308910486331048633983090 Ruby Ridge siege where he combi-

naion o an apocalypically minded amily earul o governmen con-

spiracy and heavily armed ederal agens led o a shooou and several

deahs Te sereoype is sufficienly srong ha when I came across a New

York imes Magazine aricle provocaively iled ldquoTe End Is Near (Yay)rdquo

and eauring a group based in he Norh Idaho own o Sandpoin I as-

sumed ha I was abou o read abou ye anoher religious cul heralding

he impending end o he world983089




983089 983090 LET CREATION REJOICE

As i urned ou however he group highlighed in he aricle is no

nearly so ar rom he mainsream as you migh expec I does indeed

anicipae he end o civilizaion as we know i bu i is no a narrow reli-gious secmdashor even religious a all in he radiional sensemdashand is belies

abou he uure mirror hose o many in our sociey Te movemen o

which i is a par he ransiion Nework was sared by a eacher named

Rob Hopkins in Cornwall England I has ollowers in owns and ciies all

around he world including places like Sandpoin Idaho bu also Bologna

Ialy Los Angeles Caliornia Satildeo Paulo Brazil Houson exas okyo

Japan Porland Maine Sydney Ausralia and Cambridge England983090 Temix o science economics poliics and social analysis ha grabs he a-

enion o is ollowers is regularly he subjec o newspaper and magazine

aricles and eaures in popular books and films Bu wha is perhaps mos

worrying or hose o us emped o dismiss groups like he ransiion

Nework is ha many o odayrsquos leading scieniss share heir raher bleak

assessmen o our civilizaionrsquos uure When no less a figure han Marin

Rees (ormerly presiden o he Royal Sociey he Unied Kingdomrsquos na-ional academy o science) suggess ha here is only a 1048629983088 percen chance

ha civilizaion as we know i will make i hrough he presen cenury983091 i

is probably ime ha he res o us sa up and ook noice

Tis book was writen o help readers undersand why scieniss are

making such apparenly radical claims More imporanly i was writen o

help readers consider how Chrisians migh respond i we ake seriously

wha he Bible has o say abou he gospel and he uure o lie on earhIn a world increasingly emped o despair in he ace o dysuncional

poliics and economic and ecological crises we need now more han ever

o be able o ariculae clearly he hope we have in Chrismdashand o embody

ha hope in our lives and acions

Compared o some oher recen movemens he ransiion Nework

acually adops a relaively opimisic sance oward he uure ldquoengaged

opimismrdquo is how is ounder Hopkins describes i Is ollowers embracehe changes ha are hough necessary o ldquoransiionrdquo rom our presen

unsusainable way o lie o a more susainable one as hey seek o miigae

he effecs o climae change and o srenghen he resilience o local com-




Apocalypse Now Living in the Last Days 983089983091

muniies Tere are many oher hinkers and scieniss however who are

much more pessimisic abou he uure and heir numbers are growing

Paul Kingsnorh leader o a UK-based group calling isel DarkMounain claims ha here is no longer any hope ha we can preven

caasrophic climae change and environmenal collapse He urges us es-

senially o give up on he presen and o ocus on geting ready or he sor

o world ha migh emerge afer he environmenal apocalypse he expecs

in he relaively near uure Dark Mounain garnered publiciy shorly

afer is ounding in 9830909830889830881048633 when he Guardian newspaper published a

debae beween Kingsnorh and he well-known poliical and environ-menal journalis George Monbio1048628 Monbio argued srongly agains wha

he saw as Kingsnorhrsquos deeaism observing ha movemens like Dark

Mounain serve only o allow hose who exploi he earh or heir own

ends o go on doing so and hus o hasen he realizaion o heir own

apocalypic predicions (predicions ha Monbio poined ou would see

billions o people condemned o a ruinous uure) Bu wha was mos

sriking abou he debae beween Monbio and Kingsnorh was he exeno which hey basically agreed abou how he uure is likely o urn ou

Alhough hey call or very differen responses o he hreas acing lie on

earhmdashand Monbio clings enaciously o he hope ha we migh sill

aver caasrophe (he hope ha also moivaes Hopkins and his ransiion

Nework)mdasheven Monbio concedes ha given he way hings are going

he oulook or our uure is dark and oreboding

A P983141983154983142983141983139983156 S983156983151983154983149 983137983150983140 O983156983144983141983154 F983151983154983141983139983137983155983156983155

Te noion ha a so-called perec sorm o acors are coming ogeher in

a way ha hreaens he uure o lie on earh is no longer he unique pre-

serve o bearded prophes sree preachers and religious undamenaliss

John Beddingon he Unied Kingdomrsquos chie scienis provoked debae

a ew years ago when he suggesed ha we migh begin winessing he

caasrophic effecs o jus such a perec sorm as soon as 983090983088983091983088 Te ac-cusaions o scaremongering ha ensued sugges ha 983090983088983091983088 was perhaps

jus a litle oo close or comor even or a public ha has grown used o

erriying predicions abou evens fify or a hundred years down he road1048629





Te naural hisory presener David Atenborough recenly admited ha

in his view ldquohe world is in errible rouble Am I opimisic abou he

uure No no a all Bu harsquos irrelevan Irsquos imperaive ha you do some-hing even i you donrsquo hink irsquos going o do any goodrdquo1048630

Te sures sign o he populariy o apocalypic rheoric abou he envi-

ronmen however is ha even poliicians occasionally ge ino he ac In

he run-up o he Copenhagen Summi on climae change in lae 9830909830889830881048633 he

UKrsquos hen prime miniser Gordon Brown warned o he danger o im-

pending ldquoclimae caasropherdquo1048631 And o course ormer US vice presiden Al

Gorersquos conroversial film An Inconvenien ruh righened pleny o people wih is compuer-generaed images o rising sea levels inundaing New

York Ciy (despie he ac ha ew scieniss expec anyhing like ha o

happen or cenuries) and unorunaely also urher poliicized wha was

already a deeply polarizing issue

Te film indusry unsurprisingly has aken advanage o he cinemaic

poenial o our ears abou he uure A ew movies explicily reflec con-

emporary concerns abou he environmen or climae change (Te Day Afer omorrow 9830909830889830881048628 Te Age o Supid 9830909830889830881048633) whereas many more inven

heir own apocalypic scenarios (Children o Men 9830909830889830881048630 I Am Legend 9830909830889830881048631

Te Book o Eli 983090983088983089983088 Melancholia 983090983088983089983089) or leave undeermined he causes

o civilizaionrsquos end (Te Road 9830909830889830881048633 based on Cormac McCarhyrsquos

hauning novel o he same name) A recen Naional Geographic realiy

elevision show in he Unied Saes Doomsday Preppers reveals jus how

serious are some peoplersquos ears by eauring a variey o Americans pre-paring or disaser and he breakdown o civilizaion ha hey expec in

he no-so-disan uure (Teir preparaions generally seem o involve

growing heir own produce and soring ood waer and los o guns and

ammuniion) Meanwhile in he more rarefied realm o philosophy he

popular Slovenian philosopher and culural criic Slavoj Žižek has writen

a book abou our age appropriaely iled Living in he End imes983096

Sociologiss can no doub come up wih heir own explanaions or hepopulariy o his recen alk o impending apocalypse such language has

been around or millennia even i he causes o he prediced caasrophes

have varied1048633 Wha we are concerned wih in his book however is firs o





assess he scienific daa ha provides he uel upon which odayrsquos rheoric

burns Do all o hese dire predicions as many pundis sugges amoun

o nohing more han ideological scaremongering perhaps hyped up orpoliical or personal ends Or are here good reasons or hinking ha we

may indeed be acing a crisis unprecedened in is scale and in he severiy

o is effecs on lie on earh

We encourage readers o assess he evidence or hemselves We have

ried o help by summarizing wha seems o us o be he mos relevan daa

in he ollowing wo chapers As you will discover our own assessmen

leads us o conclude ha here is in ac pleny o cause or concernmdashandha is par o he reason why we have writen his book Climae change

we will sugges is only he mos publicized (and admitedly poenially

he mos ar-reaching) hrea ha our plane aces in he coming decades

Tere is a wide range o much more obvious inerrelaed and damaging

effecs ha an ever-growing number o people consuming more and more

are having on he plane on which we all depend

o give you a quick idea o he sor o hings ha we have in mind hereis one way o undersanding our siuaion as i has been summarized re-

cenly in Naure one o he worldrsquos leading scienific journals

[A] group o leading academics argue ha humaniy mus say wihin de-

fined boundaries or a range o essenial Earh-sysem processes o avoid

caasrophic environmenal change Tey propose ha or hree o

hesemdashhe nirogen cycle he rae o loss o species and anhropogenic

climae changemdashhe maximum accepable limi has already been rans-gressed In addiion hey say ha humaniy is as approaching he bound-

aries or reshwaer use or convering oress and oher naural ecosysems

o cropland and urban areas and or acidificaion o he oceans Crossing

even one o hese planeary boundaries would risk riggering abrup or ir-

reversible environmenal changes ha would be very damaging or even

caasrophic or sociey983089983088

Consider wha hese scieniss are claiming crossing even one o heseso-called planeary boundaries ldquowould risk riggering abrup or irreversible

environmenal changes ha would be very damaging or even caasrophic

or socieyrdquomdashand we have already crossed hree o hem and are rapidly





approaching hree more Te basis or such claims and heir reliabiliy are

discussed in he ollowing chaper and here you will also have he chance

o examine he hard daa more closely or yoursel We urge readers o akesome ime o consider wha many o he bes biologiss earh scieniss

and climaologiss have o repor o us as hey monior and sudy our in-

credible plane We recognize ha many o us have grown cynical and

weary in he ace o he deluge o apocalypic rheoric wih which polii-

cians he press and all manner o special ineres groups inundae us Never-

heless i will no do or us simply o ignore wha is going on in he world

around us Above all as we will argue laer in his book Chrisians have aparicular responsibiliy o seek o undersand he world in which we live

H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140

I as we ourselves have been orced o conclude consideraion o he sci-

enific daa does give cause or serious concern ha is no o say ha he

nex sep or us all is simply o jump on he bandwagon o secular environ-

menaliss or ldquoclimae change Cassandrasrdquo (as some aciviss have recenly been called) As Chrisians our vision o he uure (and hence our view

o he presen oo) is necessarily going o be differen rom hose who do

no share our biblical hope Our ask in he second hal o his book is o

reflec on jus wha difference i makes o how we respond o he environ-

menal challenges acing us i we ake seriously he picure o he uure

ha Scripure pains or us Wha does he Bible say abou he uure o he

earh and wha difference does ha make o how we live now Whashould be disincive abou how Chrisians engage wih he sor o issues

ha are summarized in he nex wo chapers

Mos o us Chrisian or no have probably no enirely bough ino he

apocalypic rheoric ha marks many o odayrsquos discussions o climae

change and he environmen Many o us however migh find ourselves

vaguely ideniying wih one or more o he caegories o response ha we

caalog below Do you find yoursel in any o hese groups Ignorance-is-blissers Te issues concerning environmenal degradaion

resource depleion biodiversiy loss and climae change are complicaed

and heavily dispued many o us hereore simply canno be bohered o





ry o undersand hem or we find i oo difficul and ime consuming o

assess he evidence or ourselves Te issues can also seem irrelevan o our

day-o-day lives and somdashwe hinkmdashhey are bes lef o ohersSeekers Tis group have a sincere ineres in he issues bu simply do

no know wha o make o all he debaes over climae change and he en-

vironmen Tey need o be convinced ha concerns abou such hings are

well ounded and based on acs beore hey will consider aking any acion

Many in he Unied Saes in paricular are suspicious o he moivaions

behind he relevan scienific research and he media has ofen ed such

suspicions (parly because o he effecive work o he nex group) and lefhem uncerain o wha o make o i all

Deniers I is possible o be convinced o some degree abou he severiy

o a hrea bu no be prepared seriously o ace he consequences or be

willing o do anyhing abou imdashespecially when we hink i migh involve

some sor o personal sacrifice Our denial o he realiy or he significance

o environmenal challenges ofen sems simply rom our lack o clear inor-

maion or our lack o ineres in spending ime worrying abou i Bu in aew cases as in he well-documened campaign by a handul o oil com-

panies o discredi climae science (a campaign deliberaely modeled on he

obacco indusryrsquos atemp o discredi medical findings abou he effecs o

obacco use)983089983089 denial sems rom an unwillingness o conemplae changing

he way we do hings and a blaan desire o preven any new inormaion

rom coming o ligh ha migh ge in he way o business as usual

Problem solvers Tis group represen quie a specrum rom hose whoare convinced ha here are quick relaively painless echnological fixes

o mos o he challenges ha we ace oday o hose who hink ha radical

economic and social resrucuring is necessary i we are o preven envi-

ronmenal caasrophe Some in his group are progressive opimiss who

have aih in he ingenuiy and poenial o humankind ohers migh find

hemselves nearer despair abou he uure bu noneheless ge on wih

rying o change hings or he beter Despairers People who have despaired abou he uure o lie on earh

are ofen hose who have spen years rying o change hings bu have seen

litle progress Some are already suggesing ha i is oo lae o preven





caasrophic climae change or caasrophic environmenal collapse o one

sor or anoher and ha we would be beter off a his poin o ocus our

money and our effors on adapaion Pos-apocalypse hopers Te Dark Mounain group would fi in his ca-

egory For people in his group collapse is ineviable bu hey are inrigued

by wha migh emerge aferwardmdashperhaps a smaller human communiy

living more susainably on he earh or in radical versions an earh wihou

human beings a all (he sor o uure envisioned in Alan Weismanrsquos cre-

aive hough experimen Te World Wihou Us)983089983090 Tere are ew people

who are likely o find hemselves in his caegory a he momen bu i maygrow in populariy i hings in coming years do indeed begin o look as bad

as some predic Tere is a raher obvious parallel beween his secular

hope and cerain popular versions o Chrisian hope even i he naure o

he ldquoapocalypserdquo and he ensuing uure age envisaged are quie differen

As you migh have guessed we do no find any o hese caegories ade-

quae or capuring wha a disincively Chrisian response should look

likemdashalhough we do hope ha a biblical perspecive on he uure willpromp many o us o ener ino he difficul asks aken on by hose whom

we have labeled ldquoproblem solversrdquo Bu i he Chrisian gospel undamen-

ally reoriens us in our relaionship wih God and his world hen here

ough o be somehing undamenally differen in our approach and in our

atiude oward how we engage wih our ellow human beings and wih he

res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140

I migh surprise some readers ha we have decided o ocus on wha he

Bible says abou he uure raher han on or example he docrine o

creaion or he scope o Chrisian mission or he implicaions o loving

God and neighbor Tese indeed can all serve as compelling biblically

rooed saring poins in a discussion o how Chrisians migh respond o

environmenal challenges Bumdashas is amply atesed by some o he re-sponses o environmenal issues ha we have summarized abovemdashour

view o he uure can and does have a proound effec on how we engage

wih he presen





Tis is no less rue or Chrisians han i is or anyone else and Chris-

ians have someimes been accused precisely o leting our view o he

uure world affec our involvemen (or lack o involvemen) in he presen world Te biblical view o creaion is in any case direced oward he

uure promised us in Chris and or Chrisians creaion can hardly be

considered apar rom new creaion Te scope and conours o biblical

hope have imporan implicaions or how we express Chrisian love and

chariy ldquoTe greaes o hese is loverdquo he aposle Paul reminds us (983089 Cor

983089983091983089983091) bu o course he also ells us o he necessiy o aih and hope or

Chrisian living nowIn chaper 1048628 we discuss a greaer lengh he imporance o hinking

careully abou wha Scripure eaches abou he uuremdashand in paricular

abou he uure o he nonhuman creaion We also deal here wih some

criicisms o Chrisian eschaology (he docrine o he ldquolas hingsrdquo) ha

have been made by hose who find i more o a hindrance han a help when

addressing environmenal issues Beore we ge here however he nex

wo chapers atemp o summarize he resuls o an up-o-dae ldquohealhcheckrdquo o our plane Wha is he saus o lie on earh oday according o

he bes insighs ha science can offer us Wha is is uure prognosis

Chaper 983090 reas a wide range o acors ha are criical or he unc-

ioning o he earhrsquos ecosysems and or human lie and well-being many

o hem seemingly mundane and sraighorward (eg he availabiliy o

resh waer) some o hem probably less obvious o mos o us (eg he

nirogen cycle) Climae change is examined in chaper 983091 A separaechaper is called or because o he complexiy o he subjec is common

misrepresenaion in he popular press and is poenial o have significan

effecs on many o he oher sysems and processes reaed in chaper 983090

Chaper 983091 ackles he ollowing quesions Wha is he evidence or human-

influenced climae change Wha is he likely rajecory o emperaure

changes in he uure How cerain can we be abou any o i does i mater

and is here anyhing ha can be done o change he course we are on Afer our deense in chaper 1048628 o why we hink i is imporan o ask wha

he Bible eaches abou he uure we work careully hrough a number o

key biblical passages in chapers 1048629 hrough 983096 in order o gain some insigh





ino jus wha he Chrisian Scripures have o ell us abou Godrsquos plan or

he earh and how his fis ino he sory o wha he has accomplished or

us in Chris Chaper 1048633 hen draws ou some o he implicaionsmdashi we areo ake seriously wha he Bible says abou he uuremdashor living on earh

now or living in a world ha aces he sors o challenges oulined in

chapers 983090 and 983091

I is our desire ha readers come away rom his book wih a renewed

appreciaion o he wonderul world ha God has creaed as well as a firm

undersanding o is presen condiion and he poenial ha we have o

affec i Bu mos o all we aim o encourage a proound rus in he Creaorand Redeemer God whose aihulness is he only and ulimae ground o

our hope





L E T

C R E A T I O N


Ecological Crisis

JONATHAN A MOO

and ROBERT S WHITE




InerVarsiy Press






Leiceser England













ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983093983090-983094 (prin)

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983094983091983093-983094 (digial)





P 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089

Y 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092




Contents

Preace 983095














Preface
























































Preface 1048633













































1

Apocalypse Now



(and I eel fine)

REM

C983141983148983141983138983154983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 E983150983140









































































A P983141983154983142983141983139983156 S983156983151983154983149 983137983150983140 O983156983144983141983154 F983151983154983141983139983137983155983156983155
























































































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope



L E T

C R E A T I O N


Ecological Crisis

JONATHAN A MOO

and ROBERT S WHITE




InerVarsiy Press






Leiceser England













ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983093983090-983094 (prin)

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983094983091983093-983094 (digial)





P 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089

Y 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092




Contents

Preace 983095














Preface
























































Preface 1048633













































1

Apocalypse Now



(and I eel fine)

REM

C983141983148983141983138983154983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 E983150983140









































































A P983141983154983142983141983139983156 S983156983151983154983149 983137983150983140 O983156983144983141983154 F983151983154983141983139983137983155983156983155
























































































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope



InerVarsiy Press






Leiceser England













ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983093983090-983094 (prin)

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983094983091983093-983094 (digial)





P 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089

Y 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092




Contents

Preace 983095














Preface
























































Preface 1048633













































1

Apocalypse Now



(and I eel fine)

REM

C983141983148983141983138983154983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 E983150983140









































































A P983141983154983142983141983139983156 S983156983151983154983149 983137983150983140 O983156983144983141983154 F983151983154983141983139983137983155983156983155
























































































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope



Contents

Preace 983095














Preface
























































Preface 1048633













































1

Apocalypse Now



(and I eel fine)

REM

C983141983148983141983138983154983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 E983150983140









































































A P983141983154983142983141983139983156 S983156983151983154983149 983137983150983140 O983156983144983141983154 F983151983154983141983139983137983155983156983155
























































































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope



Preface
























































Preface 1048633













































1

Apocalypse Now



(and I eel fine)

REM

C983141983148983141983138983154983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 E983150983140









































































A P983141983154983142983141983139983156 S983156983151983154983149 983137983150983140 O983156983144983141983154 F983151983154983141983139983137983155983156983155
























































































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope




































Preface 1048633













































1

Apocalypse Now



(and I eel fine)

REM

C983141983148983141983138983154983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 E983150983140









































































A P983141983154983142983141983139983156 S983156983151983154983149 983137983150983140 O983156983144983141983154 F983151983154983141983139983137983155983156983155
























































































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope



Preface 1048633













































1

Apocalypse Now



(and I eel fine)

REM

C983141983148983141983138983154983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 E983150983140









































































A P983141983154983142983141983139983156 S983156983151983154983149 983137983150983140 O983156983144983141983154 F983151983154983141983139983137983155983156983155
























































































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope















1

Apocalypse Now



(and I eel fine)

REM

C983141983148983141983138983154983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 E983150983140









































































A P983141983154983142983141983139983156 S983156983151983154983149 983137983150983140 O983156983144983141983154 F983151983154983141983139983137983155983156983155
























































































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope



1

Apocalypse Now



(and I eel fine)

REM

C983141983148983141983138983154983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 E983150983140









































































A P983141983154983142983141983139983156 S983156983151983154983149 983137983150983140 O983156983144983141983154 F983151983154983141983139983137983155983156983155
























































































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope

























































A P983141983154983142983141983139983156 S983156983151983154983149 983137983150983140 O983156983144983141983154 F983151983154983141983139983137983155983156983155
























































































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope
























A P983141983154983142983141983139983156 S983156983151983154983149 983137983150983140 O983156983144983141983154 F983151983154983141983139983137983155983156983155
























































































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope















































































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope














































H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope













H983151983159 983156983151 R983141983155983152983151983150983140











































































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope
























































res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope























res o creaion

L983151983151983147983145983150983143 A983144983141983137983140








wih he presen















































our hope














































our hope













our hope

Documents

Let Creation Rejoice by Jonathan A. Mooand Robert S. White - EXCERPT