more on MUST-READ article ...

from George Kroupa ... a response to the Sojourners article (see last blog post):

Here are current (2007) figures from the Barna Research Group:

“Catholics (59%) were more concerned about global warming than were Protestants (52%). The same pattern held true among mainline Protestants (59%), who expressed greater alarm than did Protestants with non-mainline church affiliations (49%).”

“The types of Americans who are most concerned about global warming include atheists and agnostics (69%), Democrats (67%), residents of the Northeast (65%), Hispanics (65%), and unchurched adults (64%). Those least likely to describe the problem as a major issue include evangelicals (33%), Republicans (38%), those who are economically downscale (48%), and those living in the Midwest (51%).”

America’s Faith Segments: Diverse Views and Actions Related to the Environment

(1) global warming is a "major" problem

(2) "absolutely necessary" to invest in environmental protection

(3) recycled product in the last month

(4) % of US adult population

	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
evangelical Christians	33%	35%	71%	8%
non-evangelical born again Christians	55	65	67	35
notional Christians	59	61	78	39
other faiths	62	55	90	7
atheists and agnostics	69	61	82	10

Source: The Barna Group of Ventura, California, www.barna.org.
N=1004; random sampling of adults, January and August, 2007

Although I don’t always agree with the Barna Group’s interpretation of statistical data they collect, the raw numbers indicate that when it comes to environmental concerns Christians have some catching-up to do in relation to unchurched, agnostic, and atheist adults.

While other surveys might produce different results, it is interesting to note these numbers in light of Laurel Kearns’ statements in her Sojourners article.

a MUST-READ article

thanks to bob braxton for bringing this article to our attention:

"The Green Gospel: Will Seminaries Equip Church Leaders for an Age of Environmental Crisis?"

by Katharine Preston, Sojourners online sept/oct 2007

an excerpt:

... THREE MAJOR STUMBLING blocks hinder seminaries from taking on this critical role of preparing new church leaders.

The first, prevalent in evangelical seminaries and possibly more present in mainline institutions than is admitted: hesitancy to engage in the conversation until creation care and eco-justice are vetted to be a) thoroughly scripturally grounded (that is, not nature worship) and b) distinguishable, theologically and operationally, from a broader liberal political agenda.

...

The second stumbling block—systemic to First World society, not just the church—persists despite the recent upsurge of environmental concern: a failure to fully acknowledge the moral and spiritual severity of the problem and the lifestyle changes needed to help mitigate the effects of overconsumption.

...

To avoid these profound theological, ethical, and pastoral considerations is to deny our responsibility to engage in God's work of justice and love of creation. To overlook the complexities of the conversation in the training of church leaders is simply irresponsible.

"Unless the seminaries are prepared to raise up effective leadership for this situation, Christians will once again be contributing to the problem rather than being pioneers who generate solutions," says David Rhoads, a professor of New Testament at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. "To this end, every seminarian and every pastor should have at least one course that introduces them to the information, resources, and skills necessary to offer effective environmental leadership in their congregations and in their communities."

Here we encounter the third stumbling block.

With few exceptions, seminaries and theological schools have neither the resources nor sufficient individuals qualified to teach and lead them in addressing 21st century environmental concerns.

...

But the prophetic voices were often not heard, and today, vibrant, ongoing programs exist only at a couple of these seminaries and a handful of new ones.

Despite the church's historical leadership at the forefront of some social movements, seminaries retain a culture of dispassionate academic inquiry that often clashes with the call to advocacy. Without ongoing leadership, time, and resources, programs do not become part of the ethos of the institution. Success, therefore, is usually linked to the long-term dedication of one or two individuals.

With such persistence, a seminary can become a model for how to appropriately address environmental challenges and a vital training ground for new leaders.