Sacred Acts

March 19, 2012
For the past two decades, political and religious debate over the impact of climate change has produced calls to action from religious groups that believe that good stewardship of God’s creation is a vital part of a life of faith. In this useful and engaging collection, McDuff (Natural Saints) gathers 12 essays that explore four strategies for religious action to address climate change: stewardship, spirituality, advocacy, and justice. For example, Arkansas farmer Ragan Sutterfield highlights the work of churches that engage in the coproduction of food through gardening, canning, raising and butchering livestock, and cooking meals for the community. Episcopal Canon Sally Bingham points to the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston, Ill., as an example of a religious community that intentionally designed its building to adhere to the Jewish principle “do not destroy or waste,” becoming the first religious congregation in the world to receive platinum—the highest level—certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. McDuff’s collection represents a passionate act of communion in a prophetic movement that seeks to address climate change through love and justice.