The Comforting Whirlwind: God, Job, and the Scale of Creation

by Bill McKibben

In The Comforting Whirlwind , acclaimed environmentalist and writer Bill McKibben turns to the biblical book of Job and its awesome depiction of creation to demonstrate our need to embrace a bold new paradigm for living if we hope to reverse the current trend of ecological destruction.

With reference to the consequences of our poorly considered and self-centered environmental practices―global warming, ozone degradation, deforestation―McKibben combines modern science and timeless biblical wisdom to make the case that growth and economic progress are not only undesirable but deadly. If we continue to accelerate the pace of development, we will inevitably complete the “decreation” of our planet and everything on it, including ourselves.

In his signature lyrical prose, and using Stephen Mitchell's powerful translation of Job, McKibben calls readers to truly appreciate both the majesty of creation and humanity's rightful―and responsible―place in it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theology, Religion, Christianity, Ecology

85 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Bill McKibben is the author of Eaarth, The End of Nature, Deep Economy, Enough, Fight Global Warming Now, The Bill McKibben Reader, and numerous other books. He is the founder of the environmental organizations Step It Up and 350.org, and was among the first to warn of the dangers of global warming. In 2010 The Boston Globe called him "probably the nation's leading environmentalist," and Time magazine has called him "the world's best green journalist." He studied at Harvard, and started his writing career as a staff writer at The New Yorker. The End of Nature, his first book, was published in 1989 and was regarded as the first book on climate change for a general audience. He is a frequent contributor to magazines and newspapers including The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, Orion Magazine, Mother Jones, The New York Review of Books, Granta, Rolling Stone, and Outside. He has been awarded Guggenheim Fellowship and won the Lannan Prize for nonfiction writing in 2000. He is a scholar in residence at Middlebury College and lives in Vermont with his wife, the writer Sue Halpern, and their daughter.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/billmc...

Reviews

[Suzan Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kept this paperback edition of this book in my purse for whenever I could pull it out and read a bit. It took over a year but wow was it worth it. Just reading a page or two and then thinking about that McKibbon had to say and God was profound. Well worth reading and tying the whole problem up with what is happening now and what God wants and that in fact it really isn't so new after all.

[Michael Scholtes · Rating 5 out of 5]

McKibben combines competent exegesis on the book of Job with an expert understanding of current ecological issues to make the point that the church is uniquely positioned to make a difference in providing a renewed understanding and appreciation of humanity's place in the natural world.

[Preston Scott Blakeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been thinking about the relationship between Christianity and environmentalism. The critical consensus among ecocritics is that the call for human dominion (subdue) over the earth created justifications for the colonial conquest of the wilderness, and those who lived within it. For these scholars, dominion also correlates with capitalism, the genesis for our age of climate crisis. This book makes it very clear that dominion does not equal domination, conquest, or unbridled exploitation; a close reader of the N/O Testaments sees that stewardship is the crux of scriptural ecology. Job provides a productive (eco)theology, although McKibben is a little too uncritically indebted to the American romantic movement, whose cringy Thoreau and Thoreau-prototypes assume the same hubristic anthropocentrism that got us here in the first place…

[Tiffany Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful

In the past year, I've been reevaluating the "me" centric culture that dominates out world, especially in Christian thought. Following in the footsteps of fellow pro-life progressive, and environmental activist, Bob Massie (A Song in the Night, Loosing the Bonds), McKibben takes on this God-branded "me" centric culture head on, making the case that nature exists for our enjoyment, not our dominance, plunder or convenience. This is another refreshing, faith-based take on a timely topic.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very brief (comes in under 100 pages) discussion of the biblical book of Job and the environmental crisis we are living through. I have enormous admiration for Bill McKibben, who I believe to be the finest environmental writer I've ever read. He is also a regular church-goer (Episcopalian) and Sunday School teacher.

This pairing of his interests is more of a meditation than a true exegesis, but is thought-provoking and as always full of well-considered arguments put forward in McKibben's one-of-a-kind voice. It doesn't break much new ground on the environmental side if you're read some of his other work, but I did enjoy getting his view of the theological.

Probably not an enormous audience for this kind of thing, but if you're in it you'll enjoy this work.

[Steve Callahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well known as an environmentalist, the author was also a Sunday school teacher. Both disciplines were used to write this too short book.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of wisdom packed into 70-odd pages. Worth an hour or so of everyone's time.

[Aimee Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me see Job in a new way, and it's one I come back to every so often.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a side of Bill McKibben I had missed to this point, and while I started with tremendous respect for him because of Deep Economy and his work with 350.org, after reading this book, I admire him even more. The Comforting Whirlwind uses the Book of Job in a really productive way. McKibben not only acknowledges the message of God's inscrutability and the need for people to remain humble about our place in the world, he joins it with the insight that God's speech at the end of the book, the voice from the whirlwind, extols the wonders of a world quite apart from people.

"The voice also calls us, overwhelmingly, to joy. To immersion in the fantastic beauty and drama all around us. It does not call us to think, to categorize, to analyze, to evaluate. It calls us to be. (54)"

From his deep reading of Job, McKibben builds an argument for a fundamental shift in our worldview, and while much of what he says is not unique, his thoughtfulness and clarity allow him to make the argument powerfully. He applies his insight from Job to a critique of Western society and finds we not only need a change, we will be happier for it (a theme he more fully developed in Deep Economy years later).

"The orthodoxy of individual materialism and the cult of expansion have failed precisely because they insist on placing us at the center of everything, a role inappropriate both to our habitat and to our souls. (84)"

[Zachary Kovitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

oh it was a fine read but came up short in a lot of regards. i love the comparison of our current industrial milieu with the rupture of orthodoxy that goes on in the story of Job. it worked. i felt the best parts of the book was when he quoted the book of Job itself. still, in making sense of the facts that run in the face of our societal embrace of "More", and the need to re-examine our human vocation as part OF creation instead of apart from, it did a good job.

his conclusion as to what we can do individually and collectively was fruffy, both saying we need more than just recycling/composting, as well as, we just need to connect more to nature (which is true, no doubt), i wonder if Bill would write this book any differently now, a decade after its release.

[Lilac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a different take from what I was expecting on the story of Job.

It doesn't really have any new info on environmentalism, so far, as it's been a concern of mine for a while.

so, combination lack of huge interest in the Bible and long-term interest in environmentalism, I'm having a little trouble seeing the point. I think it was written from people coming from an exact opposite place, who probably wouldnt' be that inclined to read it.

???

but it reads well, and it's really short.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The author uses the book of Job as a jumping off point to celebrate the joy of the creation and our response to that. He uses the Bible and in particular the book of Job as a challenge to the way we both think about the Bible and Creation. His experience in the little congregation he finds himself a part of is subtext - but a powerful subtext (especially when writing about their encouragement to celebrate a $100 Christmas). He writes beautifully and well. I really loved this book a lot. I’m very grateful I read it. It gave me a lot to think about.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better reading this for the second time!!!!

[Jeff Youngstrom]

My review from February 7, 1998

[Lee Pfahler · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting approach to the study of Job and applying it to Creation and environmental stewardship. A quick read. Would have been nice if he had included the Scripture references when quoting.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading

Reading this leaves me wanting to know more. We all can be actively seeking to preserve the earth. Future generations are at stake.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you go to church, but you worry, not for your immortal soul, but for the planet, then I recommend this book.