A Biblical Theology of Creation Care

This essay briefly considers the seemingly modern topic of creation- care through a biblical theological lens, asking the question: Is environmentalism a Christian value? Tracing the narrative of Redemption from the Garden to the New Jerusalem (with particular attention given to the norms of Israelite society as regards land tenure and creature care), this article demonstrates that biblical law from every era communicates a similar theme: the earth, its produce, and its inhabitants belong to God, not to humanity. Moreover, according to Scripture, humanity\u27s role as regards the creation is that of steward. God takes great pleasure in his creation, has provided for it, and his expectation is that his people will respect and protect it. This becomes a particularly pertinent message to the Church in that we are only beginning to ask the question of how our identity as the redeemed people of God impacts our care of God\u27s creation. This article attempts to address that question by allowing the cumulative voice of Scripture to be heard in light of current environmental attitudes and practices