"In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters." Genesis 1:1-2

"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to your life's span? And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these." Matthew 6:26-29

"We see the despoiling of the environment as nothing less than the degradation of God's gracious gift of creation."

ELCA Statement “Caring for Creation”
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THEOLOGY

Below are resources for those seeking online Lutheran theological reflection about God's creation and our mandate to care for it. For bibliographies of relevant books, please see here. To suggest online resources for inclusion on this page, please e-mail them to:
David Rhoads at drhoads@lstc.edu
 
NEW   "Earth-Honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key," with ELCA Theologian Dr. Larry Rasmussen, Webinar recording with slides,hosted by GreenFaith on April 15, 2013.  One of the world’s most articulate, passionate eco-theologians, Dr. Rasmussen is Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary and winner of the 1997 Grawemeyer Award in Religion for his book Earth Community, Earth Ethics.  Learn about his new book, Earth Honoring Faith. 
 
NEW Bibliography
Eco-bibliography:  Bible, theology, ethics, worship and spirituality, environment, and ecological primers.
 

NEW  Seminary Ridge Review Autumn 2012 [Papers from Gettysburg Seminary Conference on “Getting Green Faithfully” August, 2012.

[View the papers]

“Reflections on a Lutheran Theology of Creation: Foundations for a New Reformation” by David Rhoads.

“God’s Lovers as ‘Uncreators’: Morality on the Face of Systemic Evil” by Cynthia Moe Lobeda.

“A Whirlwind Tour of World Religious Teaching on the Environment” by Fletcher Harper.

                                                                     

NEW   Intersections. Fall, 2012 #36. The Vocation of a Lutheran College. A Calling to Embrace Creation: Lutheran Higher Education, Sustainability, and Stewardship. Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN. July 30 - August 1, 2012.

 [View the conference schedule]                    [View the papers]

“A Traveler’s Manifesto for Navigating the Creation” by Ann Pederson.

“A Lutheran Ethic of Environmental Stewardship” by James Martin-Schramm

“Climate Justice, Environmental Racism, and A Lutheran Moral Vision: by Cynthia Moe-Lobeda

“Sustaining Sustainability” by Baird Tipson

 
Biblical Foundations
The Bible and Caring for Creation: Read "Love God, Love Your Neighbor, and Care for Creation: Vocation according to the Bible" by David Rhoads
 
Reading the New Testament in an Ecological Age. Read "Who Will Speak for the Sparrow? Reading the New Testament in an Ecological Age." by David Rhoads.

Bible and Ecology Web site: For resources and current bibliography in biblical studies, check out our companion site: www.bibleandecology.org. 

Theological Resources and Reflections:

Small Catechism Commentary: Here is a reflection on Luther's Small Catechism and our vocation as Earthkeepers (written by Pastor Nick Utphall of St. Steven's Lutheran Church in Madison, WI).

Theological Reflections on Congregational Mission: A Companion to the LRC Training Manual for Congregations by David Rhoads. “Transformation through Worship”   “Transformation through Education”   “Building and Grounds as Model of Earthkeeping”   “Discipleship at Home and Work"   “Public Witness and Policy Advocacy”

Faith and Earthkeeping: A free issue of Currents in Theology and Mission (Volume 37, 2010)

                               Table of Contents

    “Faith and Earthkeeping” by Barbara Rossing

    “Caring for God’s Beautiful Creation” by Michael Shelley

    “Waiting for the Lutherans” by Larry Rasmussen

    “Reflections on Sustainable Theological Education” by Rosemary Radford Ruether

    “‘Things having lives’: Ecology, Allusion, and Performance in Revelation 8:9”

        by Peter Perry

    “Earth-Mission: The Third Mission of the Church” by Norman Habel

    “Creativity in Earthkeepiing: The Contribution of Joseph Sittler’s The Structure of

        Christian Ethics to Ecological Theology” by Robert Saler

    “The Urgency of Climate Change Legislation” by Mark Hanson

    “Adaptation Assistance and Climate Change” by Callon Holloway, Jr.

    “Bringing Virtue to Practical Issue” by John Spangler

Call for a New Reformation. A New Reformation: Caring for Creation. Read this article by David Rhoads and Barbara Rossing, “A Beloved Community: Christian Mission in an Ecological Age in Mission after Christendom: Emergent Themes in Contemporary Mission (Louisville, KY, Westminster John Knox Press, 2010) 128-143.

Theology of Stewardship: Links to sources related to Stewardship of Creation along with the article "Stewardship of Creation" by David Rhoads.

Joseph Sittler Archives: Resources from the pioneering Lutheran ecological and constructive theologian, Joseph Sittler (1904-1987). www.josephsittler.org

Bibliography: For a Short Bibliography of books on biblical, theological, and ethics works relevant for Lutherans Theology, check out this list.

 

Note: since this section consolidates pieces from elsewhere on the website, please use the "back" button on your browser if you wish to return to this page ("Lutheran Ecological Theology") from one of the resource pages.


Theological Resources and Reflections:

Check out a free issue of Currents in Theology and Mission full of Lutheran Earthkeeping theology!

Here is a reflection on Luther's Small Catechism and our vocation as Earthkeepers (written by Pastor Nick Utphall of St. Steven's Lutheran Church in Madison, WI).

Read a reflection by David Rhoads on why worship is essential to Earthkeeping, and vice versa.

Also by David Rhoads: an article titled  “Who Will Speak for the Sparrow? Reading the New Testament in an Ecological Age.”

From Larry Ramussen: "Just Water" (Nobel Conference, 2009):

Joseph Sittler Archives:
Resources from the pioneering Lutheran ecological and constructive theologian, Joseph Sittler (1904-1987)
 
A New Reformation: Caring for Creation. Read this article by David Rhoads and Barbara Rossing, “A Beloved Community: Christian Mission in an Ecological Age in Mission after Christendom: Emergent Themes in Contemporary Mission (Louisville, KY, Westminster John Knox Press, 2010) 128-143.


            

Ten Reasons Why Lutherans Care for Creation

 
Lutherans are well prepared to address the critical issues of the environment. We have strong theological, ethical, and practical foundations for this work. And we can build on our heritage of care for the vulnerable. Here are ten reasons why Lutherans care for creation.
 
1. Theology: Lutherans have a creation-centered theology oriented to celebrate the gifts of creation. We affirm God as creator of all things. We have a deeply incarnational theology that cherishes the presence of God in all reality. We see redemption as the restoration of creation, indeed as “new creation.” We see the future as straining toward the fulfillment of creation.
 
 2. Cross and Resurrection:The theology of the cross leads us to be in solidarity with the human situation in all its pain and agony. Our theology of the cross gives us solidarity with “creation groaning in travail.” Our affirmation of resurrection offers hope for new life in this world.

3. Worship and Sacraments: Lutheran sacramental theology claims that the “finite can bear the infinite.” Christ is in, with, and under ordinary elements like grapes and grain. Our worship invites us into transforming encounters with God deep in the flesh and in the world. We are called to worship God with creation.

4. Ecclesiology: We are called in our human vocation “to serve and to preserve” the Earth. We understand that the church exists for the sake of the world, especially now in this time of ecological crisis that affects all living things. We do not have an escapist theology. When Luther was asked what he would do if he knew the world would end tomorrow, he replied, “Plant a tree.”

5. Ethics: We Lutherans have a contextual, incarnational (yet non-relativistic) ethic that is not built on rules that can be confining and enslaving. We are free to address new and complex situations, such as the environmental state of the world. We do so not as ones who dominate and exploit but as servants to our human and non-human neighbors. And we do so not out of fear or guilt or shame or arrogance but out of gratitude and grace.

6. Social Ministry: We Lutherans have a history of social service to the poor, the elderly, the sick, the oppressed, the marginalized through hospitals, homes for the elderly, social ministry agencies, Lutheran Immigration Service, Lutheran World Relief, among others. We extend that commitment also to protecting and healing all Earth community.

7. Advocacy: We have a social statement publically announcing our “Caring for Creation.” As a denomination, we have had for several decades a full-time staff person in environmental and hunger advocacy in Washington. We have others working on these issues in the headquarters in Chicago. Lutheran Public Policy offices in many states address regional issues of advocacy.

8. Scholarship: Many Lutheran scholars have written on this subject: Peter Bakken, Terry Fretheim, Norman Habel, Diane Jacobson, James Martin-Schramm, Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Larry Rasmussen, David Rhoads, Barbara Rossing, Robert Saler, Paul Santmire, Joseph Sittler, George Tinker, among others. Colleges and seminaries of the ELCA have programs and courses that prepare Lutherans for service in church and world.

9. Caring for Creation across the church: Several synods have declared themselves to be Green Synods. Many synods have care-for-creation committees and hold lectures, workshops, and conferences on eco-justice subjects. Many Lutheran congregations across the church have Care for Creation teams that work to incorporate the environmental commitment into parish life—worship, education, building and grounds, discipleship at home and work, and public ministry. Lutheran camps and our educators program have brought environmental concerns to countless numbers of people. The ELCA headquarters has a Green Team working to model environmental action.
 
10. Organizations for Earthkeeping: For a decade, we have had the organization Lutheran Earthkeeping Network of the Synods (LENS) giving leadership in the ELCA. In addition, Lutherans have spearheaded the Green Congregation Program, the Green Seminary Initiative, and the resources on the Web of Creation (www.webofcreation.org). We have led the way in promoting a Season of Creation in the church year (www.seasonofcreation.com). And now we have inaugurated the new program Lutherans Restoring Creation.

Lutherans are in a critical position to listen to the cry of the poor along with the cry of the Earth and to take leadership in addressing these critical issues of our day. We invite you to partner with us in this endeavor.

For more information and resources, please go to www.elca.org/caringforcreation and  www.elca.org/environment