{"id":6015,"date":"2010-03-03T15:52:48","date_gmt":"2010-03-03T21:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sustainablog.org\/?p=6015"},"modified":"2010-03-03T15:52:48","modified_gmt":"2010-03-03T21:52:48","slug":"creation-care-scott-sabin-tending-to-eden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/creation-care-scott-sabin-tending-to-eden\/","title":{"rendered":"Creation Care in Action: Scott Sabin’s Tending to Eden"},"content":{"rendered":"
While many of us in the environmental community literally “rejoice” in the growth and prominence of the creation care within evangelical Christianity, I’d guess we’re still trying to figure this movement out. I think the same probably goes for more traditional evangelicals, who (at least in my experience) often question the adherence of these people to a brand of faith rooted in Biblical literalism.<\/p>\n
While Scott Sabin’s new book Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God’s People<\/em><\/a> seems more focused on the latter audience, I think it’s a book mainline environmentalists could gain a lot from, also. Largely devoted to the work of Plant with Purpose<\/a>, a 25-year-old “Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to helping the rural poor” (of which the author is now the executive director), Sabin’s book also focuses on the growth of his own faith through his work with the organization, and the idea that Creation Care isn’t simply a form of “Christian environmentalism,” but rather an expression of a meaningful understanding of the relationships between human beings, the planet, and the Judeo-Christian God which created the two, and redeemed them through Christ. Sabin himself sums this up aptly towards the end of the book when he claims:<\/p>\n The biblical account is not just the story of God\u2019s love for his people and the redemption of humankind through Christ. It is that, but is also the story of God\u2019s love for everything he has made.We humans are an important part of it, but all of creation is involved.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you’re coming from either a strict environmental or strict evangelical perspective, that idea may require some work to wrap your head around. Creation care is about both faith and<\/em> works in Sabin’s view… and both are diminished when not accompanied by the other. For the environmentalist who doesn’t ground his\/her passion, advocacy, and work in faith, Tending to Eden<\/em> is replete with stories of eco-effectiveness. Plant with Purpose serves rural communities in the developing world, and much of their work focuses on replenishing depleted resources that keep farmers from producing enough to feed their families and communities.<\/p>\n For Sabin and his organization, that often comes down to a focus on deforestation. Whether trees are cut by large, industrial-scale timber operations or by indigenous farmers clearing land for crops, or turning wood into charcoal, the results are the same: degraded soils and watersheds that make even subsistence farming nearly impossible. Various kinds of reforestation activities serve to provide food, expand economic opportunity, and allow local residents to take a longer view towards their own survival.<\/p>\n \n
\n<\/p>\nCreation care and effective environmental action<\/h2>\n