‘We are not consumers of what God has made,’ writes Rowan Williams in his foreword to the Church of England report Sharing God’s Planet, which has just been published to coincide with the implementation of the Kyoto Agreement. ‘We are in communion with it.’ This is supported with biblical and theological reflection, some of which may raise new issues for those Christians who understand the gospel essentially in terms of human sin and salvation.

The biblical picture of God’s majestic purposes, from beginning to end, presents humanity as intrinsically connected with the rest of creation. The poetic structure of Genesis 1 doesn’t reach its climax with the creation of human beings, but with God looking at everything that he had made, and pronouncing it “very good”. And, looking forward to the consummation of all things, the apostle Paul predicts that ‘the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God’ (Romans 8.21).

Sharing God’s Planet describes some of the ways in which human activity, instead of working with the rest of creation, has distorted it, often for selfish gain. As part of God’s creation, our destiny is intricately connected with the rest of the ecosystem; as creatures made in the image of God, we have a unique responsibility for its protection.

A book of only 58 pages can but skim the surface of such a complex subject. The report’s purpose is not to take a political or economic stance, or to beat a particular drum – such as opposition to free trade – but to highlight the intrinsic worth of the whole creation and the duty of the Church to be active, at all levels, in protecting the environment.

Many useful suggestions for action are given, for churches and local communities as well as individuals. These range from the Christian Ecology Link’s Operation Noah, by which individuals can lobby the Government for the control of carbon emissions, through the project Eco-Congregation, which helps churches to undertake an ecological self-assessment, down to the Archbishop’s final plea: ‘Receive the world that God has given. Go for a walk. Get wet. Dig the earth.’

Helen Parry

Sharing God's Planet: a Christian Vision for a Sustainable Future is published by Church House Publishing, priced £5.99.

additional resources

UK - With a local focus

Christian Ecology Link - www.christian-ecology.org.uk - is extensively engaged with these issues. Specifically, Operation Noah is a very practical project looking at climate change with the objectives of getting churches, groups and individuals to do something about it.

Eco-congregation programme - www.ecocongregation.org - operates in the same area, but is focused more on the corporate response.

Sage is Oxford's Christian Environmental Group - www.sageoxford.org.uk - and operates in the same area.

Devon Churches Green Action - www.countrysidematters.org.uk - produced the report 'COOL IT! Climate Change and the Devon Churches' which introduces the problem of climate change and gives theological insights.

A Christian Response to the environment - www.sageoxford.org.uk - is a group formed as a result of the Bishop of Oxford's initiative to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Operation Eden - www.operation-eden.org.uk - is a multi-faith project supporting and contributing to the development of sustainable local communities in Merseyside.

UK - With a broader focus

John Ray Initiative (JRI) - www.jri.org.uk - is an educational charity that works to develop and communicate a Christian understanding of the environment.

The Environmental Issues Network (EIN) - www.ctbi.org.uk - seeks to act as a co-ordinating point for the environmental work of most of the mainstream UK churches and a number of para-church organisations.

The Church of Scotland's Society, Religion and Technology Project - www.srtp.org.uk - has the broad remit of 'looking at the ethics of technology for a New Millennium'.

EUROPEAN

European Christian Environment Network - www.ecen.org - aims to enable the churches of Europe and Christian groups involved in environmental work to share information, pool common experiences, and to encourage each other in being a united witness to caring for God's creation.

Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) - www.cec-kek.org - aims 'to help the churches study church-and-society questions from a theological and social ethical perspective, especially those with a European dimension'.

Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE) environmental consultations - www.ccee.ch - is the Roman Catholic counterpart to CEC.

The US

The Forum on Religion and Ecology is based at Harvard - www.environment.harvard.edu. It has extensive details on all main religions and their attitudes to the environment.

The Evangelical Environmental Network & Creation Care Magazine -www.creationcare.org - is a US evangelical ministry whose purpose is to 'declare the Lordship of Christ over all creation' (Col. 1.15-20).

WORLDWIDE

The Working Group on Climate Change and Development is a recently formed in the UK and includes ActionAid International, Christian Aid, Columban Faith and Justice, Institute of Development Studies, Intermediate Technology Development Group, International Institute for Environment and Development, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, nef (new economics foundation), Operation Noah, Oxfam, People & Planet, RSPB, Tearfund, teri Europe, WWF, WaterAid, and World Vision. It does not have its own website but their Oct 2004 report "Up in Smoke" is available from the Christian Aid website - www.christian-aid.org.uk. It has a strong focus on global impact of Global warming.

World Council of Churches has climate change as one of its areas in its 'Justice, peace and creation' sub-sections - www.wcc-coe.org.

Tearfund - www.tearfund.org - has papers on areas of climate change (such as 'Climate change and poverty') and on sustainability.

Also worth noting is A Rocha - www.en.arocha.org - with its international role of environmental research, conservation and education.

WIth thanks to Nick Spencer...