Wind, Sun, Soil, Spirit: Biblical Ethics and Climate Change

by Carol S. Robb

How can Christians contribute to the debates about climate change and global warming? What ethical criteria do they bring to the conversation? How does the Bible figure in their deliberation? Carol Robb brings together the several dimensions of this one overarching issue of our hers is an ecological ethics in theological perspective, and it integrates economic theory, environmental policy, and most distinctively New Testament studies. Alongside deliberation on scenarios for the future in light of climate change and assessing criteria for ethical policy in this area, she reflects on implications of the New Testament worldview for ethics now. Relating Jesus' life, ministry, and teachings to the resurrection, then probing how Paul and other early followers of Jesus related to the empire, Robb provides a surprisingly fruitful fund of ideas for Christian responsibility in this area.

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Elizabeth Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

skipped the first sections (introduction to biblical ethics and outdated reflections on climate policy), but second half of this was kinda just fine. fairly unsurprising takes on what a NT informed climate ethic would look like. most of her analysis depends on an historical jesus (any reconstruction of which i am not going to be convinced by). middle chapter raised the idea of how the “kingdom of god” if we take seriously that it’s a kingdom that means it’s a place (reminded me a lot of patrick schrieners take on the kingdom of heaven in Mt) and all places have ecologies. wish this was more developed bc i really like that as a basis for climate justice less so any historical jesus nonsense

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carol Robb attempts to answer the challenging question how Christians can contribute to the debates surrounding climate change and global warming. She divides her book in three parts, namely an argument that climate change policies are also moral matters, that the Bible provides valuable resources for a distinct Christian social ethic on ecological issues and thirdly challenges what she calls the kingdom of oil. Robb roots her ethical reflection in the realities of climate change policies as they are formulated by the IPCC and clearly wants to contribute in a practical way to the choices of alternative future scenarios from a Christian perspective. Robb's cautious notes on how to use Scripture in approaching problems such as climate change is enlightening. From here on the book becomes more contentious. Robb chooses to interpret Jesus and Paul as people with alternative political projects. in the case of Jesus as being pro-community and 'unplugged' from the temple where peasants have an alternative way to debt-relief and being embedded in their local ecologies. In the case of Paul as one challenging the idolatrous civil religion of the Roman empire. In such an interpretation Christian social ethics is to participate in a kingdom that is an alternative to imperial powers (such as those benefitting kingdom of oil). Soar with the wind, soaking up the sun, to be rooted in soil and have spirited communities is Robb's vision of a Christian alternative.