For roughly 2.1 billion people around the world, the printed tome that combines the Hebrew and Greek Testaments to tell the story of a Semitic-speaking people inhabiting the Middle East from the beginning of its (and many believe, all of our collective) history through the life, death, and resurrection of its Messiah is understood as the significant guide by which one’s life is to be governed. While interpretations of its inerrancy, how it is to be understood, and by what means its teachings are to be enacted differ among the many Christian denominations, one things is abundantly clear – as a book, it has had and continues to have more influence on human life than any other written work known to mankind. Naturally, this includes all the fields of study categorized under the general term natural history.
It is too easily forgotten that some of the world’s greatest naturalists were also devoutly religious. None other than Charles Darwin himself studied to be a clergyman prior to his sailing on the H.M. S. Beagle. His very journals written during this history-changing voyage are replete with references drawn directly out of his wrote knowledge of the Christian scriptures. Sadly, in our own present day, while passages from the Bible are still frequently cited in discussions and debates on topics ranging from the minutiae of cellular research to the expansive theories of global ecology, all too often these citations are made by those opposing the investigations of scientists and defending the idea that mankind was intended to hold dominion over the natural world and put its resources to whatever purposes we see fit. Often repulsed by the more reactionary forms of contemporary Christian dogma, too many modern naturalists eschew the contemplation of the Bible; thus what was once a cornerstone of the accumulated knowledge of all educated people has too often become an impenetrable wall dividing two groups who are rapidly losing a common contextual language through which communication is possible. For this last reason, the recent publication of The Green Bible by HarperOne is a most welcome development as it presents the cornerstone scriptures of Christianity in a manner that also offers those whose interests lay more in questions of taxonomy than theology, in nature rather than The Nativity, a reason to consider them and what they teach about mankind’s relationship to the natural world.
Following in the tradition of some Bible publishers who print the direct quotations of Jesus found in the Greek (or New) Testament in red so as to emphasize them or make them easier to locate, The Green Bible renders all verses and passages found in both the Hebrew (or Old) as well as the Greek Testaments “that speak to God’s care for creation” in green. The result is quite effective; however the reasoning behind the selection of some green-printed passages is not always clear.
For example, while the passage “For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other, and humans have no advantage over the animals; for all is vanity. All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust” (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20) clearly reflects the editors’ explanation of their green criteria (as do a great number of the passages from the Hebrew Testament that are printed in green text), others, such as John 18:27 (“Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed”) require stretching the rules a bit more than might seem reasonable. Additionally, some passages are curiously left in black text that would be thought quite obvious to anyone seeking references to care for creation – Ecclesiastes 3:2, “a time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted” being only one such example.
In addition to the full text of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, The Green Bible includes a number of other elements to help the reader better understand the concept of reading the Bible as a source of ecological as well as theological guidance. Foremost among these is forward by The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu and numerous introductory essays that discuss the relationship between Christians and the natural world (including discussions of the emerging Creation Care movement) drawn from the publications and speeches of such eminent clergy and theologians as His Holiness Pope John Paul II and Dr. Ellen F. Davis. There is also an unfortunately titled but very helpful personal reflection and group discussion guide, recommendations for personal actions (both religious and ecological), and a list of further resources offered by a wide variety of Christian denominations and organizations that may be consulted for additional guidance. An extensive subject index on all the topics given green highlighting in the text concludes the work.
As a physical reflection of the thematic form given to The Green Bible, HarperOne has incorporated just about every expected ecologically-minded production element into it; it is printed in the U.S.A. on recycled paper, using soy-based ink, and bound in a cotton and linen blend cover. Even the website supporting it is declared to have been “made without using paper.” Indeed, the printed book is physically and visually consistent with both its theological and ecological messages. To those accustomed to Bibles bound in fine leather and trimmed with gold leaf, The Green Bible’s off-white paper, soft tones of black and green ink, and homespun-appearing, dusty tan woven cover may come as a bit of a shock; however more than simply being intellectually consistent, all these physical elements may well elicit a reconsideration on the part of many readers as to just how much more closely tied to the land and to things produced by hand rather than machines were the original authors of the works therein contained.
In the final assessment, this in itself might be the single greatest value to The Green Bible over and above more traditionally edited and published editions – to prompt a re-examination of the stories and teachings generally assumed to be well-known and understood. Thus while there may indeed be occasional touches of particular theological and political leanings in the choice of some passages for highlighting, as well as perhaps a bit of marketing ingenuity in publishing The Green Bible at a time when “green” products are in the ascendancy, the potential benefits of the work – its ability to encourage discussion on the part of believers as to just what messages their scriptures may hold for them beyond those they already knew, its presentation of prominent clergy and theologians as both religious leaders as well as ecologically-minded thinkers, and its potential to provide a common point of reference that may help to bridge the gap between too-often vitriolically opposing sides in matters of what mankind’s relationship to the natural world is and how to act as a result of this – far outweigh any political or commercially-focused criticisms, and as such the book should be understood, purchased, read, and discussed as the remarkable communicative bridge that it has the tremendous potential to be.
Title: The Green Bible
Editors: Michael G. Maudlin, Maureen Baer, et al.
Imprint: HarperOne
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0061627992
ISBN-13: 978-0061627996
In accordance with Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255, it is disclosed that the copy of the book read in order to produce this review was provided gratis to the reviewer by the publisher.
