The Earth is the Lord's: An Anthology of Land Stewardship
Resources
From majestic forests to the wide-open
fields that provide food for our tables, God's lands are an integral
part of creation. Lands and wilderness provide refuge for the body
and soul, offer blessings of sustenance like soil and water, and
serve as stunning reminders of God's power and grace in our lives.
Caring for the land that God has entrusted to us is a major component
of nurturing a right relationship with God and creation. The resources
and suggestions for study provided in this compendium are designed
to help you and your congregation or faith community celebrate God’s
gift of lands and explore the ways in which we can faithfully answer
the call to be good stewards of these lands.
You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the
good land that he has given you. ~Deuteronomy 8:10
Articles, Essays, Sermons, and Pamphlets
Bjelland, Mark D. “Land-Use
Planning and the Quest for Shalom.” Journal of Lutheran
Ethics 3.10 (2003). (PDF)
"Desert
Indifference, Desert Love." 30 Good Minutes. Sermon and
interview with Belden C. Lane. The Chicago Sunday Evening Club,
Chicago. 21 April 1996. (PDF)
Lane, Belden C. “Current
Trends: Encounter at Ghost Ranch: Reflections on Desert Spirituality.”
Spirituality Today 43.2 (1992): 161-173. (PDF)
National Catholic Rural Life Conference. Brother David Andrews.
Land Use: Rights and Responsibilities
of Land Ownership through the Prism of Catholic Social Teaching.
1998. (PDF)
Young, Fred. “Eco-Penance:
Seek Wilderness, Seek God." National Fraternity of the
Secular Franciscan Order – USA. (PDF)
Policy Statements and Resolutions Concerning Land, Land Use, and
Wilderness from NCC Member Denominations
Care for the Earth: Theology and Practice,
1982. Part I: The Land: God’s Gift for our Care (Reformed
Church of America) (PDF)
Creation: Called to Care, 1991. Section
II, Part D: Land. (Church of the Brethren) (PDF)
Episcopal Church Policies on Land
and Land Use 1973, 1979, and 1982 (PDF)
- Urge Prohibition of Strip Mining, 1973.
- Urge Local Churches to Influence Land Development in Their
Communities, 1979.
- Judicious Use of Land Resources, 1982.
Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice, 1990. Area
Three: Wildlife and Wildlands. (Presbyterian Church, USA) (PDF)
United Methodist Church Policies on Land
and Land Use 2000 (PDF)
- Caring for Creation—A Study from a Native American Perspective,
2000. (United Methodist Church)
- Cease Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining, 2000. (United Methodist
Church)
Faithful Public Witness: Policy and Position Papers
Caring
in Creation Position Statement. The Montana Association of Churches,
October 1998. (PDF)
Agriculture:
The Lands and Farm Crisis Position Statement. The Montana Association
of Churches, October 1991. (PDF)
East Texas
Wilderness Cathedral Statement. The Religious Campaign for Wilderness,
March 2005. (PDF)
Krueger, Frederick. For the Common Good: The Christian
Ethics and Theology of Land and Its Critique of “Takings”
Proposals. The Religious Campaign for Forest Conservation, June
2004.
To order a copy, call (707) 573-3161.
Study Resources on Land Stewardship
Rooted
in God’s Word and Lands: A Guide for Faithful… The
National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program, 2005.
The Land: God’s
Giving, Our Caring. A Study Document on the Theology of the
Land from The American Lutheran Church, 1982. (PDF)
American
Frontiers Public Lands Lesson Plans
Suggested Books and Essays for Further Study
Berry, Wendell. "Preserving Wildness."
Home Economics: Fourteen Essays. New York: North Point Press, 1987.
137-151.
For additional books and videos, click
here.
Web Links
Faith Groups Addressing Land and Wilderness Issues
Native American Groups Addressing Issues of Land and Spirituality
Secular Groups Addressing Land and Wilderness Issues
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