A Few Things Out of the Ordinary
Let me digress . . .
and recommend a study not at all associated with the Book of Revelation. The wonderful volume is by Klyne R. Snodgrass’s Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus (Eerdmans, 2008). It will take its place in my library alongside the helpful volumes on parables by Craig Blomberg and Ken Bailey. Indeed, in many ways it is superior to the works by those fine scholars.
The book reflects mature scholarship that is geared for either a seminary course or a preacher who is preparing a series on the parables of Jesus. It is, in my opinion, the finest volume of its kind. It is succinct, clear, and accessible. Snodgrass gives clear answers to key questions that arise from a study of the parables. He pays close attention to gospel parallels (e.g., the two parables on lost or wondering sheep in Luke 15 and Matthew 18) and interacts with the important contributions, including the works by Ken Bailey whose cultural insights have been very helpful to serious Bible students. You may not always agree with his conclusions, but you will be a better student because of your reading of Snodgrass.
My digression continues . . .
by my encouraging you to consider the topic of Christian faith and the environment. I am not trying to be politically correct or “with it” since this is a major concern of people, both Christian and non-Christian. Years ago, I read Francis Schaeffer’s call to relate the Christian faith to the planet in his groundbreaking work Pollution and the Death of Man. In this area, as in others, Schaffer was a man ahead of his time.
An easy book to read is Dave Bookless’s Planetwise: Dare to Care for God’s World (InterVarsity Press). Bookless desires to explore “the story of God and the whole of creation” (p. 18) and does so in which God’s dealings with this world are seen as five acts of a drama: creation, fall, Israel, Jesus, and the present/future age. (You may also want to take a look at Hilary Marlow’s Let the Earth Sing (Oxford – forthcoming in 2009) and how she reads the Old Testament in light of environmental ethics).
Another book, albeit a bit more complex, is Christianity, Climate Change, and Sustainable Living by Nick Spencer and Robert White (SPCK. The authors, an economist and geophysicist, explain the science of climate change as well as offering a biblical theology of creation care. The authors also challenge Christians to look at our lifestyles by offering principles and practical suggestions.
Finally, take a look at Cherishing the Earth: How to Care for God’s Creation (Monarch) by Martin and Margot Hodson. Scientific and theological perspectives are wedded in a creative way. Their desire is to point us to a better way of living until we find ourselves living on the new earth to come (Rev. 21:1ff.). We are challenged to respect both the earth and all its inhabitants.
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