Question 163 from Elizabeth, Canada

I recently went on vacation to the U.S. and was just blown away by the “Christian” right wing movement that seems to be rampant. I had no problem using my dusty memories from bible college to defend my “socialist” ideas of health care, but drew a blank when it came to being eco-friendly. Somehow the Genesis passage about subduing the earth became the rallying cry for consumption, the earth was made for us to use (and apparently abuse.) I know we are to be good stewards of the gifts that God has given us and I believe the environment is a gift. How is a “pinko liberal communist tree hugger” to respond?

The following article was written by guest theologian, Abi.

This is an interesting question, especially in the light of lots of international talk about carbon footprints, zero gas emissions and reaching Kyoto protocol targets! Theologically, the issue of ecology, climate change and the environment can be a confusing one, and with so many approaches it is difficult to know how respond. Therefore, (more…)

Question from RC, United Kingdom

I’ve heard a lot about the various forms of Christian mission today – some say that mission is merely proclaiming God’s word, yet others would say that mission is taking care of the world we live in (e.g. Green Peace). What does God’s call want us to be involved in when it comes to spreading His word and mission, and does our environmental concerns come under the umbrella of mission today?

Christianity has been an expansionist religion ever since the recorded journeys of the apostle Paul in the book of Acts. Paul’s ‘missionary journeys’ when preaching and proclamation seemed to take precedence have become the blueprints for people as diverse as the Celtic saints like Columba, David and Patrick, the Roman Catholic monastic order known as the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), evangelical protestant heroes like C.T. Studd and Hudson Taylor and trailblazing non-conformists like John Wesley. In each case the ‘missionaries’ involved have been keen to ‘take the gospel to people’, especially to foreign lands as new worlds of exploration opened up.

Certainly a number of missionary societies in evangelical protestant Christianity regard ‘mission’ in these terms – the stereotype would be to ‘proclaim the gospel and convert the heathen’. But there has been a broadening of horizons in the last half of the twentieth century, with mission seen less as ‘proclaiming the gospel’ and more as ‘showing the Kingdom’. This perhaps stems from the rise in post-modernism. The ‘modern’ world-view is characterised by expansion and conquest. The ‘missions’ of the nineteenth century that piggy-backed European political imperialism were certainly ‘modern’ in that sense and have recently been subject to much unfair retrospective criticism as a result. Post-modern mission, if it even exists, would see itself as presenting a better way of doing things; an exemplary gospel that encouraged people to ‘live like this’.

Certainly the growth of the environmentalist movement is directly linked to the emergence of post-modern culture and considerations. The environmentalist agenda often includes an interest in the ‘spiritual’, but many Christians dismiss this as ‘New Age’ and are unwilling to engage with people who may be looking in the wrong places, but are at least looking for something. It could be argued that the Church generally is locked in a modern mindset, fighting ideological battles on rational and semi-scientific grounds, which would explain why Christians missed the opportunity to introduce Christ to those people rediscovering the beauty of creation.

If Christians are serious about mission today, then a move away from ‘modern’ methods would result in a more holistic approach to mission as ‘life in the Kingdom of God’. It is fair to say that environmental concerns would come under that umbrella, simply because the Kingdom is about doing things differently, according to God’s agenda. Pollution, global warming, wanton destruction of the natural world and the extinction of species are not part of God’s Edenic ideal. Nor do they feature in any ideal habitat for human beings.

Question from SL, United Kingdom

Some would say that we are seeing increasingly changeable weather not typical of the season. I believe there are references to events in both the old and new testaments. Can you supply a few of these and comment accordingly. Does global warming fit any of them?

There is an old saying that ‘the seasons will change’, although the modern translations of Scripture certainly do not seem to have a statement as bald as that. It has, however, become part of the late twentieth century pre-millennial myth (as found in author Hal Lindsay, the Left Behind series and other popular works) that ‘global warming’, climate change and the like are part of the Last Days.

The book of Daniel is one of the best-known Old Testament apocalyptic books, containing the visions of the prophet Daniel/Belteshazzar in Babylon around the time of the Jewish Exile. Daniel, and the genre of apocalyptic literature generally, is hard to translate to our modern mind-set. There is a tendency to over-literalise apocalyptic Scriptures and try and apply modern events to the fantastical visions of these ancient seers.

In Daniel chapter 2 verse 21, the prophet praises God, saying “He changes times and seasons…” Given the apocalyptic themes that run throughout Daniel, where even in the earlier chapters God’s judgement and the need for the faithful to stand firm under persecution are common elements, this verse could be the source of the inclusion of changing seasons in eschatological events. However, this verse could merely be stating that God is in ultimate control of earthly events – which is, of course, the defining element in apocalyptic literature.

In the ‘little apocalypse’ found in the gospel of Mark chapter 13, warnings of impending doom are followed by a quote lifted from Isaiah that in the last days “the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light” (verse 24 in Mark / Isaiah chapter 13, verse 10 & chapter 34, verse 4). In Revelation similar portents in the heavens occur regularly as a sign of the imminent end. Such changes in the natural order were widely regarded in Biblical times as having some meaning.

In using apocalyptic literature today, Christians generally fall into two camps: those who want to ‘interpret it’ in concrete terms by linking various apocalyptic events or figures with what is happening in the news or with certain persons; and those who regard it as having little or no relevance. Without wanting to get into a ‘Late, Great Planet Earth’ mindset, apocalyptic literature is important as much today as ever. It reminds Christians that the last days are real – and have been ever since the time of Christ, that God is in control of history, regardless of whether that is obvious and that Christians need to stand firm in the face of evil.

In terms of global warming, there are two apocalyptic viewpoints. One would be that the world is going to get burned up anyway, so what’s the point in worrying? The second (and more thoughtful viewpoint) would see the destruction of the planet through the wanton use of limited resources as going against the job description of human beings as stewards of this fragile globe. To recognise global warming as a result of human selfishness and propensity for squander and, therefore, as a physical symptom of spiritual evil, should lead the Christian apocalyptist to oppose global warming and do what they can to prevent it.

Question from CM, United Kingdom

Dear Freelance Theology,
Can you give a brief explanation of Stewardship and tell me your thoughts on how far it should apply in our lives. Does it only apply to our finances or to all material things in our life?

In a previous answer, specifically about whether Christians should own stocks and shares, I wrote the following: “We are stewards of the money and resources given to us, not the sole owners, therefore God has a legitimate claim on everything in our life, including our money.”
There are numerous instances from the Bible in order to back this up. In the Old Testament the Israelites are constantly reminded that everything they have is from God, including the land of Israel. The institution of the ‘Year of Jubilee’ (in Leviticus ch25 vs8 and following) was to show that human beings had no claim of ownership regarding the land – it belonged to God. In the New Testament Jesus had an offhand attitude towards money. He warned against the ‘danger’ of riches. He also took direct action against religious fraud in the infamous encounter with the Temple moneychangers (e.g. Matthew 21:12-13, also in the other 3 gospels).

In terms of stewardship we are given three main gifts (beside life itself): wealth, time and responsibility. Jesus seemed to view wealth as neutral, it was what a person did with it and a person’s priorities in life which affected that person’s eternal standing. People who ‘loved money’ or sought security in it were often described as fools. When it came to trust, Jesus instructed his followers to store up treasure in Heaven; the treasures of Earth were at risk from theft and decay, but heavenly treasures were secure and eternal (Matthew 6 vs19-21).

Time and responsibility are often glossed over by Christians, but the amount of time spent doing what God calls you to do is important. Setting out your own plans and being self-indulgent are not hallmarks of authentic Christian life. The parable of the man who built himself huge barns without reference to God’s intentions (Luke 12 vs16-21) is designed to remind us that our own plans will come to nothing if God intends otherwise.

Responsibility is another aspect of stewardship – one that has been popularised by the Christian ecological movement over the past few decades. As humans we are responsible for the care of the earth, the care of each other and the care of those who have nobody to speak for them. Wayward parenting, unjust trade, idleness, ‘opting out’ by living a life of addiction (debauchery) – these are all repeatedly used in the Bible as hallmarks of a sinner.

We have a responsibility to provide for and properly raise our children. We have a responsibility to make sure that the poor do not become an underclass. We have a responsibility to speak out against injustice. These are all aspects of stewardship. Admittedly some Christians have taken this to mean they have a right to condemn everybody around them, or have taken it upon themselves to act as the moral guardians of society. This sometimes misses the point as real stewardship means living a life of sacrificial example – shepherds who live out in the wilds with the flock and are willing to lay down their lives for them, as opposed to herding the sheep along and poking them with sticks.

However it is the stewardship of money that many Christians in the rich countries of the West focus on. There are two main aspects to be discussed here. One is the over-consumption of the privileged minority that live in Europe and North America. The other is the perennial favourite topic of tithing.

The first aspect is the easiest to talk about. The crass consumerism practised as a lifestyle in Europe and America, and preached as a gospel by ‘prosperity teachers’, does not sit squarely with even a superficial reading of the Bible. The noted teachers and evangelists who seek to justify ‘health-and-wealth’ or ‘name-it-and-claim-it’ doctrines are usually poorly-read, third-rate scholars derided by the majority of theologians for their facetious and downright wrong application of Scripture. In fact this sort of bad theology is not new, it has always been used by the ‘haves’ to make them feel better about ignoring the needs of the ‘have nots’.

Tithing is a more complex subject. It is generally agreed that tithing is a good principle on a practical level, although under the terms of the ‘New Covenant’ it should not be regarded as mandatory. The big danger with any preaching on tithing is that it encourages an attitude of ‘I’ve given my tenth, so I’ve done what I need to.’ This was never the intention of tithing.

Tithing was designed to fund the huge Levitical priesthood and keep the Temple running in the Old Testament. The ten per cent rule was a minimum to be adhered to. ‘Free will offerings’ and other offerings supplemented the tithe. On that note, the tithe was not a tenth of your yearly income, but a tenth of the value of everything you owned, including property. This was then given to the Temple at Passover time for a celebration that everybody was invited to, including the poor who could contribute little to the running costs.

Tony Campolo describes the use of the tithe at Passover time in the following way: “…it was not used for some noble charity or to support a missionary program. Instead it was blown on a party! Among the purposes for this celebration was to give the people of Israel a small foretaste of what the Kingdom of God would be like… the biblical principle of tithing is a prescription for celebration rather than for charity… one tenth for the party and the other nine tenths to be used with careful scrutiny as to ways it can bless others.” (20 Hot Potatoes Christians are Afraid to Touch, Word Books 1988, pp98-9)

The question of giving ‘to the Lord’s work’ (to borrow a stock evangelical phrase) is not high on the priority-list of the earliest church. The needs of those within the fellowship were attended to, possessions were kept in common and widows and orphans were to be cared for. There was no ‘building fund’ or other project to swallow up the money; it was used to help those in need or missionary endeavours.

As Christians we need to be self-aware and not self-seeking. In terms of practical application of the ten per cent rule, it might be helpful for Christians to ask themselves the following questions before deciding to tithe their income.
1) Is my tithe a minimum basis for giving, or should I give more?
2) If I give ten per cent will I neglect other aspects of stewardship, such as the responsibility to put food on the table for my family?
3) Is the destination of my tithe really ‘the Lord’s work’ (which leads onto another question: is the church I’m giving to serving the interests of its own members or is it interested in fulfilling the Great Commission?)
4) How much of my income am I justified in keeping and spending ‘on myself’, given that I am dependent on God for all of it?

I hope this goes some way to answering your question, CM. Stewardship is a huge topic and one that is hard to address concisely. Thank you for contributing to freelance theology. If you would like to comment on this post, please email freelance theology using the button on the sidebar.