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Tag: theology
Sustainability Cannot be Achieved Without Indigenous Leadership
Matthew 6.25-34: A Lesson from the Earth — part 2 of 7
Read part 1 of 7 (introduction) here. When it comes to discovering eco-theology in the person of Jesus, scholars tell us to be careful. It is easy to cast him in our own image; and he may have used agricultural and rural imagery in order to speak to an agricultural and rural age. If he… Continue reading Matthew 6.25-34: A Lesson from the Earth — part 2 of 7
And What Does God Require?
And what does God require regarding the domestic animal? Once again, the law codes of ancient Israel are full of instruction. God says in Deuteronomy: But the seventh day is a sabbath belonging to Yahweh your God; you shall not do any work, not you or your son or your daughter or your male servant… Continue reading And What Does God Require?
Hugging the Tree of Life – 1 of 7
What scholars, bishops, and writers are saying about green readings of the New Testament (Intro to a 7 part series) You can’t trust an expert every time. Humans make mistakes. But when it comes to our future, health, and wealth, we love to hear from the professionals. And why shouldn’t we? They’ve done more research… Continue reading Hugging the Tree of Life – 1 of 7
The Spirituality of Saving the Earth
Resolving to save the earth can be like New Years. Lots of grand intentions. Little life change. My wife and I go back and forth about it all the time. She is a conservation heroine, with a few ideas that drive me up the wall. I am a conservation champion with wasteful habits. She saves… Continue reading The Spirituality of Saving the Earth
Life is Green in St. Andrews
The bus passed by on its way to the Old Course. I was on my bike, in the cycle lane. I was pulling behind me a trailer with my five-year old girl packed in. We had just been to the grocery. You could see her head. That was it. She was stuffed in there with… Continue reading Life is Green in St. Andrews
What does God require? Part 4: Creatures of the land
How does God view the survival and prosperity of the wild creature? Throughout the Bible, we read that even in a fallen world, God rejoices in the beauty and balance of his creation. We also read that God has designed the created order so that his wild creatures will have the food, water, and habitat… Continue reading What does God require? Part 4: Creatures of the land
What Does God Require? Part 3: The Land & Warfare
Even in the midst of the crisis of warfare, we find that in Israel God’s people are commanded to treat creation with care. In Deut 20:19-20 we find an obscure, but very interesting law: When you besiege a city for many days, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not… Continue reading What Does God Require? Part 3: The Land & Warfare
What About the Poor?
Part 2: The Destitute As we discussed in my last entry, the Israelites understood that “their” land actually belonged to God. They therefore believed that the produce of their land belonged to him as well. As a result, Israelite law dictated that rather than the Israelites exhausting the produce of the land in their quest… Continue reading What About the Poor?
The Specks in Our Own Eyes
The Bible provides answers to the problems of every age. If the world is dying, God has something to say about it. He has something he wants us to do. Our proper course of action is woven into the very fabric of scripture. What we are supposed to do is not so simple that it… Continue reading The Specks in Our Own Eyes
What Does God Require? Part 1: The Land
Last month we talked about blueprints. We learned that in God’s original blueprint for creation God stood enthroned above all of the animate and inanimate order and humanity stood just below him as his steward of the same. In that entry I spoke of the impact of the fall of humanity upon the cosmos over… Continue reading What Does God Require? Part 1: The Land
Back to the Beginning
Painting: “The Garden of Eden” by Thomas Cole, 1828 (public domain) Often to truly understand an issue, we need to look backward before we can look forward. That is always the case with biblical theology. To get your brain around the goals and purposes of redemption, you are going to have to cast an eye… Continue reading Back to the Beginning
An Old Testament Professor and Creation Care
My name is Sandy Richter and I teach Old Testament. More specifically, I train seminarians. I myself am a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Harvard University’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, and I currently teach at Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, MS. But most significant to my profile is that I am… Continue reading An Old Testament Professor and Creation Care
