The Bible as Blueprint for Earth's Recovery: Book by Swarthmore Professor Mark Wallace Makes Biblical Argument for Environmental Protection.

(From AScribe)

SWARTHMORE, Pa., Apr. 1 (AScribe Newswire) -- The mounting degradation of the earth's primary life-support ecosystems endangers the existence of future generations, according to a team of international business people and scientists working on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. In a report issued this week, the project's experts warned that current patterns promise to exacerbate overuse of the planet's fresh water, the ocean, and the air, with dire consequences.

According to a new book by Swarthmore College professor Mark Wallace, a crucial blueprint for meeting the planet's environmental crisis lies in a perhaps surprising source: the Christian Bible.

"Without a deeply felt spiritual connection to nature as the location of God's presence, it will be difficult for many people to develop long-term, sustainable relationships with the natural world," says Wallace, professor of religion and author of Finding God in the Singing River (Fortress Press). "Without this connection, I fear we will continue lifestyles that lead to the dire results foretold by the Millennium Ecosystems Assessment and other experts."

Because of the strong link today between evangelical Christianity and the conservative political movement, Christianity might seem to be the last place to look for guidance toward a healthier environment. But Wallace argues for a "green" reading of the Bible, one that sees God as an ecological presence who reveals "Godself" through the Earth's living beings.

Wallace argues for a rethinking of the traditional Christian conception of a "sky God" - a transcendent deity alien from nature, which humans can approach only by renouncing their bodies and physical world. The Bible, he says, teems with evidence of God's reverence for the earth ...