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Publications
Here are some resources that we have produced – as well as links to resources that we’ve contributed to – and links to books published by people in the A Rocha whānau – to encourage and deepen a theology and practice of creation care.
Rich Living study series
Small group booklets to assist faith communities to reflect upon how they live and offers practical steps to make sustainability integral to lives of faith.
Creation Connection: Resource for Children
Written by Elke Keeling
The Creation Connection: Series for Children is an experiential and contemplative approach where children connect to God, each other and the natural world around them by connecting to and becoming aware of God’s Creation and discovering together how to act with love, care and responsible, compassionate action within it.
This resource is written by Elke Keeling, in partnership with A Rocha Aotearoa New Zealand, for the Eco Church NZ project. The resource aims to give children experiences in nature where they notice the world around them, connect to it and learn to care for it. Through connection to nature, children notice the Creator at work in every detail and connect to God and each other through their experiences. The resource thus follow a cycle of Ecology, Theology and Contemplative Action to help children experience, learn and make meaning that leads to thoughtful action.
Books
Creation and Hope: Reflections on Ecological Anticipation and Action from Aotearoa NZ
Edited by Nicola Hoggard Creegan & Andrew Shepherd (2018).
We live in an ecological age. Science in the last few hundred years has given us a picture of nature as blind to the future and mechanical in its workings, even while ecology and physics have made us aware of our interconnectedness and dependency upon the web of life. As we witness a possible sixth great mass-extinction, there is increasing awareness too of the fragility of life on this planet. In such a context, what is the nature of Christian hope? St Paul declares that all of creation “will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” How are we to imagine this “freedom” when death and decay are essential to biological life as we currently experience it, and when the scientific predictions for life are bleak at best? This book explores these questions, reflecting on how our traditions shape our imagination of the future, and considering how a theology of hope may sustain Christians engaged in conservation initiatives. The essays in this volume are partly in dialogue with the ground-breaking work of Celia Deane-Drummond, and are set in the context of global and local (Aotearoa New Zealand) ecological challenges.
Book Chapter: Restoring Karioi: Ecology, Community and the Practice of Peace
In Pursuing Peace in Godzone: Christianity and the Peace Tradition in New Zealand, edited by Geoffrey Troughton and Philip Fountain (Wellington: Victoria University Press, 2018), 178-193.
Pursuing Peace in Godzone is about how New Zealanders have been inspired by visions for peace. Focusing on diverse Christian communities, it explores some of the ways that peace has influenced their practices, lifestyles and politics from the Second World War to the present—the period in which New Zealand’s peaceable image and reputation as ‘God’s Own Country’ grew and flourished.
New Zealand Christians and others have worked for peace in many different ways, from attention-grabbing protests against nuclear weapons, apartheid and war, to quieter but no less important efforts to improve relationships within their churches, communities and the natural environment.
Taken together their stories reveal a multifaceted but deeply influential thread of Christian peacemaking within New Zealand culture. These stories are by turns challenging and inspiring, poignant and amusing, and they continue to reverberate today in a world where peace remains elusive for many.
Book Chapter: Restoring a Mountain, Reconciling Communities: A Rocha in Aotearoa New Zealand
In Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church, edited by Colin Bell and Robert S. White (Peabody, MA.: Hendrickson, 2016), 234-237.
What does the gospel have to do with creation care?
From Augustine to Martin Luther, theologians and preachers recognized that God speaks to his people through ‘two books’, namely the Bible and his created world. In this volume, an international group of theologians, scientists, and creation care practitioners explore what this ancient truth means for us today. They show how care of God’s creation must be an integral part of the mission of Christ’s church, an expression of joyful worship, and a path of hope for a world in desperate need of it.
This volume compiles the work of biblical scholars, theologians, biologists, environmental researchers, and community organizers who met in Jamaica in 2012 for the Lausanne Global Consultation on Creation Care and the Gospel. Participants from 23 countries gathered for five days to pray, talk, and reflect on the state of the planet—the home in which we live—and on the role and ministry of the church in caring for God’s creation.
The 350-page book published as a result of the consultation includes topics like environmental missions, climate change, economics and cities, and features a variety of case studies from around the world.
Is Anyone in Charge Here? A Christological Evaluation of the Idea of Human Dominion over Creation
By Selwyn Yeoman (2021)
What are our responsibilities as human beings in the exercise of our undoubted powers over all other creatures and the earth itself? The idea that human beings have dominion over the rest of creation is often regarded as the chief source of the world’s current environmental crisis. From the universities to talk-back radio, this is a commonly repeated theme, but how strong is its basis? Is Anyone in Charge Here? is a critical conversation with the seminal Lynn White paper, “The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis.” Easter Island, New Zealand, and ancient Mesopotamia, biblical exegesis, historical theology, monastic movements, and current environmental challenges are all explored. It examines the roots of the idea of human dominion, how the idea has been understood through the centuries, how people have worked it into their living, and how it might be constructively applied in our current crisis. All this is theologically evaluated in the light of Jesus Christ being both the true human, and God’s way of involvement in the world as creative Word, representative image, and serving Lord.
Awhi Mai Awhi Atu: Women in Creation Care
Edited by Silvia Purdie (2022)
The natural world is crying out for our loving attention.
Does your church or community group want to get involved but don’t know where to start?
The contributors to this book explore the issues, share their personal visions, and offer practical ideas that your church or group can act on today.
Awhi Mai Awhi Atu tells the stories of 30 women, living in Aotearoa New Zealand from many cultures, who are leading in environmental action. Through their experience a powerful story emerges of God at work in a rich diversity of ways.
Awhi Mai Awhi Atu documents the emergence of a dynamic mission movement, and builds that movement with practical, creative ideas and resources. It includes:
– Vibrant stories of hope and creativity in the face of local and global problems
– 81 action points which provide practical tools for churches
– A wealth of prayer and poetry that connects heart and soul
– Discussion of theology in ecological mission.
Now, more than ever before, God is calling the church to care for God’s creation.
This book encourages Christians to receive God’s love – awhi mai – and to share God’s love – awhi atu – in human community and with the natural environment.
© 2023 A Rocha Aotearoa New Zealand
Charity registration: CC36274
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