True North: Christ, the Gospel, and Creation Care

Written by Mark Liederbach and Seth Bible Reviewed By Brian C. Dennert

The choice of “Caring for Creation” as the theme of the 2012 annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society signified that the topic of creation care has grown into a significant interest for evangelicals. The plenary sessions, however, revealed sharp disagreement regarding matters such as human-caused climate change and decreasing biodiversity. Mark Liederbach and Seth Bible of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary seek to steer the conversation away from these controversial issues to topics that unite Christians by offering an approach to creation care that focuses on it as an act of worship stemming from belief in Christ as the creator, redeemer, and coming king.

The first chapter introduces the book's nautical metaphor and examines various perspectives on creation care. Just as the North Star offered sailors a fixed point to determine their position and their course, so Christ should be “True North” for Christians in the midst of a world that lacks a standard in ethical debates. Before drawing attention to “True North” by concentrating on Christ the creator (chs. 2-3), redeemer (ch. 4), and coming king (ch. 5), and plotting a course for action (ch. 6), the authors show the importance of “True North” for environmental ethics in light of the diverse approaches featured in secular and Christian treatments. After examining three dominant perspectives in secular discussions (biocentrism, ecocentrism, anthropocentrism) and three influential Christian models (dominionists, dependents, stewards), the authors state that they offer a refinement of the stewardship model by emphasizing stewardship as a form of worship. Liederbach and Bible also identify and critique two competing perspectives found in Christians: (1) “Chicken Littles” declare impending disaster and can be overly pragmatic, and (2) “Ostriches” deny that there is an ecological crisis and risk disembodying the gospel by ignoring the issue of creation care. The authors seek to avoid both dangers by using worship as the primary motivation for creation care.

Chapter 2 shows that the doctrine of creation, with special attention devoted to Col 1:16, teaches that the created world points to the creator, who is Christ himself. Rather than living in light of the intended purpose of creation, however, humans often focus too much on creation itself or view creation as an instrument for human use. Chapter 3 concentrates on the special place of humans in the universe, as Gen 1:26-27 and 2:15 present humans as “embedded heads” that are the only part of the created world made in the image of God. Humans are not to serve creation for its sake nor use it for their interests but are to bring glory to God through their care of the created world. Connections between the garden and the temple situate the duty to care for creation within the context of worship.

In discussing redemption, chapter 4 highlights that the ultimate crisis is not ecological but spiritual, as sin causes humans to misdirect worship and abuse the created world. The incarnation, atonement, and resurrection of Christ present the opportunity for all things to be brought back into proper relationship and call Christians to glorify God by living in accordance with God's original purposes, which means ceasing negative behaviors toward the created world and seeking to restore places damaged by sinful behaviors. Additionally, the Great Commission is a call to fill the earth with worshiping image-bearers. While not excluding traditional approaches to creation care (legislation, awareness, etc.), Liederbach and Bible maintain that evangelism has a positive effect on the environment because hearts set on “True North” will behave in positive ways towards creation.

The authors focus on the “positive draw” of eschatology for creation care in chapter 5. Liederbach and Bible highlight two extremes in discussions of eschatology. While some mainstream views are too “this-worldly” by viewing the present world as all that exists, many Christians run the risk of becoming “Christian Gnostics” by being too “other worldly” and emphasizing the destruction of creation. An examination of 2 Pet 3 and discussion of Christ's resurrection indicates that the present order neither continues nor is eradicated; rather, it is renewed.

After reviewing the broader argument of the book, the final chapter develops a “deontological virtue ethic” that stresses the importance of duty and of character. The authors argue that this approach reflects the stress on proper actions and proper dispositions in Deuteronomy and the Sermon on the Mount and avoids the pitfalls of relativism and legalism that plague virtue and deontological approaches, respectively. The book concludes with indexes of authors, subjects, and Scripture references.

This work of Liederbach and Bible fills a gap in evangelical discourse on creation care and can prove useful to a wide range of readership. The book's introduction indicates that the authors' attendance at two conferences revealed that evangelical discussions about creation care often use biblical texts as a starting point but lack extended exegetical reflection, assume rather than rigorously engage theological ideas, and rarely link ethics and evangelism. The authors are mostly successful in their attempt to remedy these problems, with their strongest contribution appearing in the link they establish between creation care and evangelism through viewing creation care as part of the call to teach all that Jesus taught. In addition, the christological focus of the work reflects an effort at rigorous theological reflection. The present reviewer did not find the book's exegesis to be noticeably more careful or extended than other works in the field, but the focus on Col 1:16 injects a fresh text for consideration alongside the more common texts in discussions of creation care (Gen 1-2; Col 1:20; Rom 8:18-23; 2 Pet 3) and thus reflects an exegetical contribution.

The Baptist background of the authors is apparent in their choice of commentators and theologians, though their use of thinkers like Bavinck and Hodge will connect with those in the Reformed tradition. The focus on worship is likely amiable to Christians of other theological persuasions. Readers desiring concrete guidance on particular environmental issues will not find it in this book, but Liederbach and Bible make it clear from the outset that they are focusing on theological foundations and defer these discussions to others. This choice of the authors, however, unfortunately means that the reader is not able to see how this approach speaks to practical concerns and leads to tangible actions. Even a brief discussion of implications or a few case studies would strengthen the book's value.

The thrust of the book makes it a worthwhile read both for evangelicals interested in environmental ethics and those who may be suspicious of the growing interest in the area, as it reminds the first group of the centrality of worship in evangelical activism and the second that creation care arises not from the influence of wider culture but from the gospel itself. Moreover, Liederbach and Bible's criticisms of “Chicken Littles” and “Ostriches” suggest that Christians on both sides of the debate about the ecological crisis would not only benefit from this study but should pay careful attention to it. If they don't, they may fall into common pitfalls or forget that the issue of creation care is ultimately not about interpreting empirical data but worship of Jesus, the creator, redeemer, and king of creation.


Brian C. Dennert

Brian C. Dennert
Faith Church
Dyer, Indiana, USA

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