Natural Saints: How People of Faith are Working to Save God's Earth
Mallory McDuff
Abstract
Natural Saints: How Churches are Working to Save God’s Earth shares stories and strategies of people of faith working to integrate the environment into their ministries. This book tells the stories of contemporary church leaders, parishioners, and religious environmentalists working to define a new environmental movement, where justice as a priority for the church means a clean and safe environment for all. This book reveals how a focus on God’s earth transforms both people and congregations, creating more relevant and powerful ministries for today. As a result, people of faith are creating a ... More
Natural Saints: How Churches are Working to Save God’s Earth shares stories and strategies of people of faith working to integrate the environment into their ministries. This book tells the stories of contemporary church leaders, parishioners, and religious environmentalists working to define a new environmental movement, where justice as a priority for the church means a clean and safe environment for all. This book reveals how a focus on God’s earth transforms both people and congregations, creating more relevant and powerful ministries for today. As a result, people of faith are creating a new environmental movement with a moral mandate to care for God’s good earth. This book highlights eight key ministries: protecting human dignity, feeding the hungry, creating sacred spaces, responding to natural disasters, promoting justice, making a pilgrimage, educating youth, and bearing witness. Author Mallory McDuff traveled across the country to document diverse environmental actions grounded in faith, from the installation of solar panels at Kanuga Camp and Conference Center to educational workshops to train parishioners in environmental advocacy through the organization Earth Ministry. In turn, this journey transformed the author’s perception of her own Christian faith and hope for a sustainable future. This book provides inspiration and concrete advice for congregations and individuals seeking to integrate care of creation and stewardship into their faith community.
Keywords:
Christian,
creation care,
environment,
environmental justice,
faith communities,
ministries,
religious environmentalism,
stewardship,
sustainable
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2010 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780195379570 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: September 2010 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195379570.001.0001 |
