Let Creation Rejoice: Biblical Hope and Ecological Crisis

Review"At a time when Earth's environmental problems can seem insurmountable, Jonathan Moo and Robert White present a case for Christians to look forward with both hope and diligence in their efforts to care for God's creation. Their vision of biblical hope does not gloss over the grim realities of the damage that has been done to our world by human destruction, pollution, and overexploitation of resources. Let Creation Rejoice is structured upon the idea that Christians are called to both joy and lament?to a hope based on the promises of God's kingdom and to groaning alongside all creation." -- Abbie C. Schrotenboer, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, Vol. 66, No. 4"Reviewing the environmental issues on today's agenda, including climate change, the authors conclude that there are sound reasons for thinking we face challenges of unprecedented magnitude. But they articulate a gospel hope that discourages fatalism and fanaticism alike." -- Christianity Today, July/August 2014"The mix of environmental awareness and activism with a Christian sense of mission is by no means new, but these authors bring Cambridge credentials, brevity, and an unusually buoyant feeling of faith to their task. . . . This work is written with deftness and care and should exert an appeal to many church groups and individual seekers." -- Library Journal, May 15, 2014"Let Creation Rejoice serves as a much-needed corrective to divisive discussions on climate change. Moo and White lay out a helpful survey of the current condition of the Earth and the causes of that condition, then go on to explain the biblical perspective and how our future hope speaks into our present situation." -- Relevant Magazine, May/June 2014"At the center of [the author's] theology is hope for the future. This makes their approach distinct from someone who cares about our planet but does not have faith in God. It is also distinct from a believer who argues from something other than eschatology. They want readers to know and understand that the problem we face is colossal, but as long as we trust in God there is always hope." -- Scott Elliott, Englewood Review of Books, Eastertide 2014"This book shows why The Cape Town Commitment, from the Third Lausanne Congress, Cape Town 2010, was absolutely right to say that 'we cannot separate our relationship to Christ from how we act in relation to the earth. For to proclaim the gospel that says "Jesus is Lord" is to proclaim the gospel that includes the earth, since Christ's Lordship is over all creation. Creation care is thus a gospel issue within the Lordship of Christ.' To be able to make such an affirmation requires that we have a fully biblical vision of what the gospel wholly and actually is, and this book richly provides such a vision with extensive biblical support. It takes us through the whole Bible story, from creation to new creation, and shows how our attitudes and actions in relation to the earth must be shaped by what God has done and will do for all creation through the Lord Jesus Christ. The book presents and explains the sober facts of our present ecological crisis. But, as the title makes clear, it does so not to induce despair, but rather to show how radical and transformative is the hope for all creation that is truly part of the 'good news' of the biblical gospel." -- Christopher J. H. Wright, Langham Partnership; author of The Mission of God and The Mission of God's People"If your mailboxes, physical and digital, are like mine, they are filled with apocalyptic rantings. Religious groups point to the signs of the end times. Environmentalist groups warn us we must act now, before it's too late. Here's a different message. While not every reader will agree with every perspective in this book, all of us can be provoked by its winsome engagement with tough issues from a biblical perspective. Whatever your position on matters such as climate change, this book will prompt you to think through how your bi