An examination of biblical texts that speak of creation and humanity’s place in it. Special attention is paid to the topic of human vocation vis-à-vis creation, especially in light of contemporary environmental issues.
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. (Eph. 4:11-12)
REQUIRED BOOKS
- A study Bible (Oxford Annotated; HarperCollins; etc.)
- Ellen F. Davis, Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible (Cambridge University Press, 2009)
- William P. Brown, The Seven Pillars of Creation: The Bible, Science, and the Ecology of Wonder (Oxford University Press, 2010)
- In addition, there are articles on e-reserve to be read, specified in the following schedule.
Class Schedule
Week #1: Introductions; assignment of recorder/respondent duties; discussion of articles
Required reading:
- Lynn White, Jr., “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis,” Science 155 (1967). Find it online at: https://www.uvm.edu/~gflomenh/courses/ENV-NGO-PA395/articles/Lynn-White.pdf
- Wendell Berry, “Christianity and the Survival of Creation” (on e-reserve)
Week #2: The Genesis creation accounts
Required reading:
- 1-3
- Charles C. Mann, “Our Good Earth,” National Geographic 214:3 (Sept., 2008):88-106; online at https://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/soil/mann-text
- Davis, 21-65
- Brown, 33-114
Week #3: Sabbath and a theology of the land.
Required reading:
- Exodus 16-23; 35; Leviticus 11; 17; 19; 25
- Barbara Brown Taylor, “Rest for the Land: Rogation Day” from Earth and Word: Classic Sermons on Saving the Planet, ed. David Rhoads (on e-reserve)
- Davis, 66-119
Week #4: Job’s creation theology.
Required reading:
- Job 1-3, 29-31, 38-42
- Kathryn Schifferdecker, “Conclusion” and “Postscript” from Out of the Whirlwind: Creation Theology in the Book of Job (on e-reserve)
- Calvin DeWitt, “Seven Degradations of Creation” (on e-reserve)
- Brown, 115-140
Week #5: Psalms and Prophets
Required reading:
- Psalms 96, 98, 104, 148
- Isaiah 40-55
- Amos
- Brown, 141-159, 197-220
- Davis, 120-138
- James Cone, “Whose Earth is it Anyway?” from Earth and Word: Classic Sermons on Saving the Planet, ed. David Rhoads (on e-reserve)
Week #6: The New Testament and eschatology; Student presentations on final projects.
Required reading:
- Luke 12:15-31; Romans 8; 1 Cor. 15; Rev. 21
- T. Wright, “Jesus is Coming – Plant a Tree!” (on e-reserve)
- Davis, 155-178
- Wirzba, 47-59, 191-201
- George Tinker, “Spirituality, Native American Personhood, Sovereignty, and Solidarity” in Native and Christian, ed. James Treat (Routledge, 1996) (e-reserve)
- Bill McKibben, “Playing Offense,” The Christian Century (Jan. 2, 2013), online at http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2012-12/playing-offense
Week #7: Final paper/project due.
Additional Bibliography (for further study):
DeWitt, Calvin B. Earth-Wise: A Biblical Response to Environmental Issues. Faith Alive, 2007.
Fretheim, Terence E. God and World in the Old Testament: A Relational Theology of Creation.
Nashville: Abingdon, 2005.
Habel, Norman C. The Land is Mine: Six Biblical Land Ideologies. Fortress Press, 1995.
McKibben, Bill. The Comforting Whirlwind: God, Job and the Scale of Creation. Cowley, 2005.
Rhoads, David. Earth and Word: Classic Sermons on Saving the Planet. Continuum, 2007.
Schifferdecker, Kathryn. Out of the Whirlwind: Creation Theology in the Book of Job. Harvard University Press, 2008.
Walker-Jones, Arthur. The Green Psalter: Resources for an Ecological Spirituality. Fortress Press, 2009.
Wirzba, Norman. The Paradise of God: Renewing Religion in an Ecological Age. Oxford University Press, 2003.
This syllabus pertains to when the course was offered in 2013