Read about Hardcore Environmentalism... in the Bible?

There are green bibles, and then there are Green Bibles. It was good news a couple years ago when prominent Christian leaders decided to print greener bibles on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Since then, it's actually a little surprising that we haven't seen a publication like this emerge: the Green Bible is a version of the good book that highlights passages concerned with nature, stewardship, and caring for the planet.

So why is this surprising at all?

There was a time when environmentalism was considered the realm of the atheistic, free-loving hippy (and there was a time before that when it was considered the realm of the stoic, conservative Republican). As we all know, those times have long since passed. Now environmentalism is being embraced by oil barons and airline owners. Green has (thankfully) gone mainstream, and it's great to see people from such diverse backgrounds getting involved.

It might seem strange to some when evangelical church leaders become even more vocal in supporting green causes—but it shouldn't. As the Green Bible helps point out, there's a strong environmentalist theme that runs throughout the book's teachings. The Green Bible points out that there are over 1,000 passages (some pretty intense green) referencing the earth and nature, compared to 490 concerning heaven, and 530 about love. Important topics each, but the numbers speak for themselves?earth matters, too.

The Green Bible features a forward by the archbishop Desmond Tutu, highlights verses and passages concerning green issues, and is printed on recycled paper with soy ink. It should be a great resource for Christians and non-Christians alike, and help us understand how age-old stewardship principles are still relevant today.

I plan on reading this book, and I wasn't raised Christian at all. But Christianity plays such a huge role in Western culture—it should be incredibly useful to understand how the Bible regards environmentalism.