Newsletter

Spring 2002

Book Review: For the Beauty of the Earth
By Dave Mahan, Director of Au Sable-Great Lakes

"For the Beauty of the Earth" is an apt title for Steven Bouma-Prediger's most recent book, which is about the role of humans in understanding and keeping God's good Earth. The author brings a unique set of credentials to his work, being a theology professor at Hope College in Michigan while also having had a diversity of occupational and recreational experiences in the natural world.

The book begins with a challenge to Christians to fully embrace their home or place. As he notes, 'if we do not know our place…we are destined to use and abuse it.' The author then reviews some of the significant ways that we humans have abused God's world as well as the role of Christendom in that abuse. Appropriately, these sections are followed with a nicely done Christian theology of the Earth where he interweaves biblical passages from Genesis to Revelation. Some of the strongest chapters then describe how we should practically live on Earth; how we should lovingly nurture our home. I particularly appreciated the book's discussion of the ways in which Christian virtues shape both one's vision and actions in the world.

Readers will especially appreciate Bouma-Prediger's straightforward yet hopeful approach. While realistically portraying both the degraded state of the planet and the often woefully inadequate response of the Christian community, he challenges the reader in a very positive way. He wonderfully proclaims the hope we have through Christ in God's 'great, good future.'

It is the hope of this reviewer that this delightful book will be used in high school and college classes and in adult Sunday School or other group study opportunities. Plain and simple, this book is an excellent resource for Christians looking to better understand their place on Earth.

You can purchase this book at our on-line bookstore!

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