Thursday, October 9, 2008

The Bible has never looked so green

I'm not a religous person, but I always believed that religion and environment goes hand in hand, especially when what religious people see as god's creation is in danger. That's why I was happy to hear about The Green Bible.

The Green Bible, which was published this week by
HarperOne (a HarperCollins imprint), includes besides the bible itself many special features tracing environmental themes woven through Scripture. The unique green features include:

- Green-Letter Edition: Verses and passages that speak to God's care for creation highlighted in green
- Foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu
- Essays of author Brian McLaren on the theological shift toward creation care; preacher Barbara Brown Taylor on our responsibility to care for what God loves; the late pope John Paul II on the ecological crisis as a moral problem; Jewish environmentalist Ellen Bernstein on ten principles of creation theology; and Anglican Bishop of Durham, England N.T. Wright on how we must be God’s agents in bringing forth environmental renewal today. - Inspirational quotes from Christian teachings throughout the ages
- A green Bible topical index
- A personal green Bible trail study guide
- An appendix with information on further reading, how to get involved, and practical steps to take

The Green Bible strives to equip and encourage people to see God's vision for creation and help them engage in the work of healing and sustaining it. With over 1,000 references to the earth in the Bible, compared to 490 references to heaven and 530 references to love, the Bible carries a powerful message for the earth.

The Good Book is produced with soy-based inks, 10% recycled paper, and a 100% cotton/linen cover. It is targeted to people who share both green and religious beliefs - Mark Tauber, senior vice-president for HarperOne, told
BusinessWeek that they hope to sell 25,000 to 30,000 copies a year and that he wants to market The Green Bible to eco-aware churches and influential thinkers.

The Bible “is an ecological handbook on how to live rightly on earth,” says conservationist Cal DeWitt, one of the contributors. Well, I guess that even atheists can be interested with this green interpretation of the bible.

For more information visit
http://www.greenletterbible.com/. You're also welcome to watch this video from the website:





Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris