Hope for All Creation - Further Reading and Resources

There are many books and resources on faith and the environment that are accessible and suited to a wide audience.

Drawing on his role as the former Church of England lead for the Environment, Bishop Nicholas Holtam’s book Sleepers Wake: Getting Serious About Climate Change (SPCK Publishing, 2022) explores the reality of climate change and begins to frame a Christian response to it. It can be used as a study series in the season of Advent. It was the 2023 Archbishop of York’s Advent Book.

Ruth Valerio’s work is another good place to start for a general audience. Her book Saying Yes to Life (SPCK Publishing, 2019) which was selected as the 2020 Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book, connects the seven days of creation with contemporary environmental, ethical, and social concerns. In L is for Lifestyle: Christian Living that Doesn’t Cost the Earth (IVP, 2019) she shows how Christians can make small but significant changes to their lifestyles.

Dave Bookless’ downloadable booklet Making a World of Difference (Renew Our World, 2023) gives a brief overview of why and how creation care is essential to Christian mission, and is available in multiple languages. His book Planetwise: Dare to Care for God’s World (IVP, 2008) makes the biblical case for caring for the planet God made for his glory and his people's enjoyment, and likewise is available in multiple languages including Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish.

For a survey of Christian ethical approaches to core contemporary issues like biodiversity, climate change, water, human population and demographics, energy consumption and food, a great place to start is A Christian Guide to Environmental Issues (BRF, 2021, 2nd edition) by Martin J. Hodson and Margot R. Hodson. This book also includes a series of Bible-based reflections. 

Grove Ethics Booklets present summaries or overviews of some of the key topics in creation care. Recent editions have addressed environmental management, veganism, marine plastics and plant-based diets. There is a separate list of specifically ‘green’ Grove Booklets.

For a more general approach, the work of Katharine Hayhoe is useful. Hayhoe is a Canadian atmospheric scientist and public communicator of climate science. Her Global Weirding channel provides short-form educational videos that introduce issues around climate, faith and politics. Her book Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World (Atria, 2022) examines how shared human values, including those given to us by religious faith, can lead to collective action.

Christian Scripture plays a central role in providing the theological, ethical, and spiritual foundations for how we relate to the natural world and to the global ecological crisis we are currently facing. 

When considering themes within biblical theology that relate to ecology, a useful place to start is Richard Bauckham’s book The Bible and Ecology: Rediscovering the Community of Creation (2010). This work argues for the biblical idea that all creatures are interconnected and are moreover related in their common dependence upon God. It also challenges traditional readings of the so-called ‘dominion’ mandate of Genesis 1, arguing that such readings have too often justified environmental exploitation. The book provides in-depth analysis of a number of biblical passages, encompassing the Pentateuch, the Psalms and the Prophets, Job, and the New Testament.

Various editions of the Bible have been produced in such a way as to highlight some of its core passages on the environment. One example is the Green Bible (Harper, 2007), a New Revised Standard Version Bible which has verses related to the Earth, creation, and human stewardship printed in green ink. Such a method of presenting Scripture might not be preferred by everyone. But resources like these may help readers see how creation care is central to biblical teaching.

For those seeking guidance for regular or devotional reading, an excellent resource is Green Reflections: Biblical Inspiration for Sustainable Living (BRF, 2021) by Anglican theologian Margot Hodson and scientist Martin Hodson. This brings together scientific and theological wisdom to offer 62 reflections inspired by passages from the Bible in a thoughtful exploration that encourages both reflection and response. 

For individual study or group work, Ruth Valerio’s Rivers of Justice: Responding to God’s Call to Righteousness Today (Waverly Abbey, 2023) provides seven Bible studies on issues of poverty, justice, consumerism and how these relate to our contemporary environmental crisis, along with accompanying video material. Blue Planet, Blue God by Meric Srokosz and Rebecca S. Watson (SCM, 2017) is another thoughtful, accessible resource for reflection on biblical passages. A more extensive yet accessible biblical overview is offered by Douglas J. Moo and Jonathan A. Moo in Creation Care. A Biblical Theology of the Natural World (Zondervan, 2018).

Re-imagining our World Together is a series of contextual Bible Studies on the Anglican Marks of Mission and the Sustainable Development Goals, prepared in 2023 by the Anglican Communion Environment Network and the Anglican Alliance. It is also available in French, Spanish and Portuguese.

There are some great resources from the John Ray Initiative, including a five-part Bible study called A Christian Look at the Environment written by a former Diocesan Environment Officer, Rich Clarkson. These are an ideal for group studies carried out during the Season of Creation or for a Lent Course.

Tenants of the King is a four-part study guide produced by Operation Noah, last updated in 2022.

Ecotheology is a scholarly branch of theology that explores the relationship between faith and the natural world. It seeks to understand how beliefs can inform and inspire ecological responsibility and care for the Earth. Part Two of Hope for All Creation is informed by recent work in ecotheology. 

A good place to start is the book Ecotheology (Dartman, Longman & Todd, 2008) by the British theologian Celia Deane-Drummond. It sets out in a clear and balanced way many of the debates that characterise the field of ecotheology, including our use of Christian Scripture, the relevance of key Christian doctrines (creation, incarnation, eschatology), and how Christian ethics in general might enable us to interpret and address our global ecological situation. A shorter and more accessible alternative is provided by the same author as A Primer in Ecotheology: Theology for a Fragile Earth (Cascade, 2017).

Ecotheology risks remaining abstract if it does not relate to individual human lives and to the values that determine our societies. This question is addressed by North American theologian Norman Wirzba in his powerful book This Sacred Life: Humanity’s Place in a Wounded World (2022). This book provides a deep philosophical and religious account of humanity’s place in a world that is deeply integrated and interdependent. It makes a powerful critique of economic and social systems that risk obscuring this reality, and calls us to open our eyes to the Earth as being saturated with sacred gifts.

To delve into ecotheology is sooner or later to encounter more niche areas of study like ‘deep incarnation theory’. For a balanced approach to this controversial topic, you can refer to Deep Incarnation: God's Redemptive Suffering with Creatures (Orbis, 2019) by the late Australian Catholic theologian Denis Edwards. This book draws upon the work of Niels Gregersen, Elizabeth Johnson, and others to address this question.

For a fascinating exploration of how Christians might view our ecological situation through the lens of trauma theology, see Tim Middleton’s book Witnessing a Wounded World: A Theology of Ecological Trauma (Fordham University Press, 2025).

There are also studies of what Christianity teaches about our relationship with animals and other creatures. David Clough explores the topic from the perspective of systematic theology (On Animals: Volume 1, Bloomsbury, 2013) and theological ethics (On Animals: Volume 2, Bloomsbury, 2020). Celia Deane-Drummond approaches the same topic with reference to evolutionary biology (Evolution of Wisdom I: Theological Ethics through a Multispecies Lens, Oxford University Press, 2019). 

For those seeking to keep abreast of current scholarly debates on Scripture and the environment, various articles in The Oxford Handbook of the Bible and Ecology (Oxford University Press, 2023) may be useful, including sections on hermeneutical methods, specific biblical texts, thematic and doctrinal studies, and contemporary perspectives. You may also wish to consult Sébastien Doane’s Reading the Bible Amid the Environmental Crisis: Interdisciplinary Insights to Ecological Hermeneutics (Bloomsbury, 2024).

The Anglican tradition has contributed significantly through its theology, liturgy, ethical commitments, and institutional actions. 

Liturgical resources for creation and the environment grounded in Anglican prayer and local practice are compiled in the 2026 Second Edition of A Time for Creation: Liturgical Resources for Creation and the Environment, published by the Church of England (Church House Publishing, 2026). This revised and expanded edition of the original publication from 2020 now includes provision for the Festival of Creation in Christ approved by the General Synod in July 2026, as well as a commentary on the new provision and an updated introduction. The full contents of the Second Edition are also available online.

The Anglican Communion provides liturgical resources from various provinces, including a Eucharistic Prayer for the Season of Creation from the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, available in multiple languages, or Prayers for Ecological Justice from the Anglican Church of Canada.

Nature can be a wonderful inspiration for our worship of the Creator. The Church of England offers practical ideas and advice for outdoor worship.

For wider thinking on Anglican liturgy, especially from an Anglo-Catholic theological perspective, the edited volume Celebrating Creation: Affirming Catholicism and the Revelation of God’s Glory (Darton, Longman & Todd, 2004) explores how the revelation of God’s glory is intertwined with creation, and how this is presented delivering in liturgy and sacrament. Christopher Irvine’s The Cross and Creation in Christian Liturgy and Art (SPCK Publishing, 2013) illustrates how liturgy, art, and theology can blend together to form a holistic witness to Christ’s cosmic work both in creation and redemption, in Anglican and other Christian traditions.

For Anglican spirituality, the book Christian Eco-Spirituality: An Outline (Cascade Books, 2025) by Robin A. Parry provides a useful point of entry. The first section looks at eco-spirituality from the perspective of Sophia (wisdom), and the second considers practical applications.

Our rich global communion provides us with an opportunity to hear the voices and the stories of those being most directly affected by the crisis. The Anglican Communion Environment Network has produced a series of video interviews in a number of languages called Renewing the Face of the Earth (Anglican Consultative Council, 2023) that can be watched individually, used in small group discussions or incorporated into teaching modules. Interviews include indigenous voices and global Anglican women. Contributions from all parts of the Anglican Communion are framed by the commitment of Anglican bishops worldwide to the Lambeth Call on the Environment, published in 2022.

Here it is also worth mentioning some predecessor reports in the Church of England, especially those from the last two decades or so. A number of these are cited in the Introduction to Hope for all Creation. In 2005, the Church of England Mission and Public Affairs Council published the report Sharing God’s Planet: a Christian vision for a sustainable future (Church House Publishing). This report strongly conveys the idea of the interconnectedness of creation, with humans as a part of that wider communion of creation, not apart from it. In the 2020 ecumenical statement Stewards of Creation: A Hope-Filled Ecology, agreed by the International Commission for Anglican–Orthodox Theological Dialogue, the created order is described as being imbued with God’s dynamic presence, such that “as co-workers with God we participate in the ongoing, dynamic process of divine revelation and creation” (p.8). 

Many theological education institutes and partnerships offer courses in environmental theology, including the two-year Certificate in Christian Rural and Environmental Studies (CRES), which can be taken as a distance-learning course, and the postgraduate Theology for a Planet in Crisis MA offered by St Augustine’s College of Theology. There are also useful reports for those working in Anglican theological education, including in the 2021 JRI report The Environment in UK Theological Education Institutions, aimed at supporting ordinands to be equipped to reflect theologically and lead practical and missional responses to the environmental crisis. 

Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home marked a turning point in how the Catholic Church addressed the global ecological crisis. It generated a great deal of energy at grass-roots level and has even had impact on policy and governance, not least the annual COP process. Its key contribution was to link the ”cry of the earth” to the “cry of the poor”, encouraging us to understand our contemporary situation in an integrated way. Pope Francis offers a vision of God’s creation as sacred and interconnected, and calls upon Christians and all people to consider the moral and spiritual basis of our current global situation. Many reading and study guides are available from different religious traditions. 

Laudato Si’ can be read alongside Querida Amazonia, Pope Francis’ letter – or ‘apostolic exhortation’ – to bishops in the Pan-Amazon Region, published in 2020. It addresses the needs and rights of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon region and environmental protection of the Amazon rainforest more generally, and thus represents an example of theology ‘in action’.

For an example of how the parish can be reimagined in the light of Catholic teaching on the environment, see The Parish as Oasis: An Introduction to Practical Environmental Care, by Kevin Hargaden and Ciara Murphy (Messenger Publications, 2022). 

The Eastern Orthodox church has a very rich tradition of theological work on creation care, leading to practical action and transformed lives. This is symbolised today by the powerful writing and witness of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. A selection of the ‘Green Patriarch’s’ writings and speeches on this topic are gathered in the volume On Earth as in Heaven: Ecological Vision and Initiatives of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (Fordham University Press, 2011). Orthodox theologian John Chryssavgis’s book Creation as Sacrament: Reflections on Ecology and Spirituality (T&T Clark, 2019) explores the sacred dimension of the natural world and the significance of creation in the rich theological history and spiritual classics of the Orthodox Church.

In the UK, the Methodist Church, The Baptist Union and the United Reformed Church have jointly produced Hope in God’s Future, a report reflecting theologically on the climate and environmental crises.

It is useful to consider comparative approaches between Christian denominations. For example, the recent book One Earth, One Love: Orthodox and Baptist Theologians in Conversation about the Natural Environment (Firedint, 2025) presents conversations between Orthodox and Baptist theologians on the subject of theology and the environment. 

Christians are called to bring their faith and ethics to bear on wider issues in politics, society and culture. One place to start might be Pope Francis’ idea of the ‘technocratic paradigm’ of contemporary society. In Laudato Si’ he describes this as a worldview or mindset that sees technology and human power as a way to control, dominate and manage the natural world, in contrast to the vision of interconnectedness and responsibility that the Christian faith must promote.

An example of reflection on some of the ethical policy issues arising from Hope for All Creation is the ‘The Christian Ethics of Farmed Animal Welfare: A Policy Framework for Churches and Christian Organizations’. The Framework offers churches and other Christian organisations a way of thinking through, from a theological perspective, policy issues in relation to their roles as producers, retailers and consumers of animal products, and as investors in companies which produce or sell those products.

For wider considerations of how religious faith can interact with the public sphere on this question, you might like to consider the essays in the multi-contributor volume Religion and Ecology in the Public Sphere (Bloomsbury, 2011). 

A recent scholarly report entitled Religion, Theology and Climate Change (2025) explores how Christian communities have been engaging in climate activism around the UK, and what sort of theological beliefs tend to drive this activity. 

Linking ecological care and justice for the poor has become a major focus in much recent theology. Two classic theological texts that call for Christian involvement in the wider culture are Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor by Brazilian theologian and philosopher Leonardo Boff (Orbis, 1997), and The Great Work: Our Way into the Future by the Catholic priest and scholar of world religions Thomas Berry (1999). Both of these connect ecological justice with social justice, and make a visionary call to ecological transformation. 

For an approach called ‘ecological liberation theology’, you might like to refer to American theologian Daniel Castillo’s book An Ecological Theology of Liberation: Salvation and Political Ecology (Orbis, 2019). This book expands on the ideas presented by Latin American liberation theologians Gustavo Gutiérrez and Jon Sobrino, among others, in order to propose a novel concept: green liberation theology.

It is also important to bear in mind the important contributions of other world religions in developing rich and diverse theological and philosophical reflections on the environment. These also articulate deep connections between the sacred and the natural world through their scriptures, ethics, rituals, and communal responsibilities, and it is useful and important for Christians to engage with these too. Of course, it is beyond our scope here to provide anything like a sufficient survey of these materials. But we can perhaps offer some points of connection. 

Judaism offers a deep, ancient, and evolving foundation for environmental care, drawing on Torah, rabbinic tradition, and modern Jewish thought. The edited volume Judaism and Ecology: Created World and Revealed Word (Harvard, 2023) provides an overview of some of the key debates and points of connection. The American Jewish bioethicist and philosopher Laurie Zoloth presents a compelling argument for the role of Jewish theological and ethical reflection in fostering global ecological conversion in her book Ethics for the Coming Storm: Climate Change and Jewish Thought (Oxford University Press, 2024).

Within Islam, Al-Mizan: Covenant for the Earth is a modern Islamic environmental declaration launched at the 6th UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi on 27 February 2024. It rearticulates foundational Islamic values—such as balance (mīzān), stewardship (khalīfah), justice (ʿadl), and compassion (raḥmah)—to guide Muslims in responding ethically to the global ecological crisis. It aims to inform Islamic teaching, enhance academic discourse, and inspire grassroots environmental activism.

For a broad survey, you might like to consider the valuable book Ecology and Religion: Foundations of Contemporary Environmental Studies (Island Press, 2014) by John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker, which provides an overview of the history of religious traditions and their ecological teachings, illustrating how religious teachings and practices have both promoted and (at times undermined) sustainability.

The Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology is a hub for exploring the intersection between world religions and ecology. It includes review essays and bibliographies on the approaches of many major religions to ecology, as well as links to a wealth of resources, a wide number of which are available open access.

For an even broader perspective, it may be interesting to consider Indigenous worldviews and their deep connection to ecology. Here, we can explore the contrast or interplay between Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and the approaches characteristic of western societies. TEK can prompt us to consider values of gratitude, reciprocity and sustainability, all of which have analogies in creation care as understood by Christian theology. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (Milkweed, 2013) by the Potawatomi botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer has been widely appreciated in recent years: it merges an understanding of western science with traditional Indigenous wisdom to advocate for a ‘kin-centered’ relationship with nature. Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World (Harperone, 2020) by Aboriginal scholar Tyson Yunkaporta considers ecology from an Indigenous perspective as a holistic, interconnected, and complex system. Finally, The Falling Sky: Words of a Yanomami Shaman (Harvard University Press, 2013) by Davi Kopenawa and Bruce Albert provides a fascinating account of what Indigenous values signify for a tribal community in the Amazon rainforest.

A number of books have been produced aiming to help children and young people think through and address these questions. There are illustrated storybooks like Abigail and the Waterfall: Loving God’s Good Earth (IVP, 2025) by Sandra L. Richter. For slightly older readers, around 7-10 years, Planet Protectors: 52 Ways to Look After God’s World by Paul Kerensa and Ruth Valerio describes practical ways in which children and young people can care for creation, inviting us to take up a different challenge each week. The book is a resource for parents and guardians seeking to open up conversations with children about environmental sustainability, and for primary schools, Sunday schools and youth workers teaching about the environment.

The most important place to begin in exploring contemporary environmental action in the Church of England is the Church of England Environment Programme. This helps support dioceses, parishes, cathedrals, schools, and other church institutions to reduce their environmental impact and work toward sustainability. It guides the Church of England Net Zero Carbon national route-map, works closely with A Rocha UK’s Eco Church scheme, engages in public and political advocacy, both in the UK and globally, and provides liturgy, prayers, and sermon resources on environmental themes.

Elsewhere in the Anglican communion, the Anglican Alliance exists to connect, equip and inspire the worldwide Anglican family to work for a world free of poverty and injustice and to safeguard creation. They have also produced resources for preachers with reflections on each Sunday’s Revised Common Lectionary readings called  Preaching for God’s World.

The Anglican Communion Environmental Network focuses specifically on environmental matters in the Anglican Community. It also runs The Communion Forest initiative aiming to increase tree growing and ecosystem conservation, protection and restoration activities in Anglican settings around the world. 

There are many other organisations, networks and campaign groups that can be consulted for news, resources or information. A few of these, including those related to the Church of England or the Anglican Communion, are listed below:

• A Rocha UK is a Christian charity working to protect and restore the natural world and committed to equipping Christians and churches in the UK to care for the environment. Their Eco Church programme has been widely taken up across the Church of England. 
• A Rocha International is a global conservation organization working to live out God’s calling to care for creation ​and equip others to do likewise.
• The Baptist Union Environment Network (BUEN) is a network of environmental partners across Baptists Regional Associations, offering resources and programmes.
• Caring for God’s Acre supports churches to nurture biodiversity in their churchyards. It provides learning resources and training courses, maintains a national database, and offers various volunteer opportunities.
• Christian Aid is a partnership of people, churches and local organisations seeking to strengthen climate resilience and adaptation amongst some of the poorest communities in the world.
• Christian Engineers in Development assist communities all over the world in developing technical solutions to everyday problems like water and power.
• CRES (Christian Rural and Environmental Studies) is a two-year Certificate course that provides an opportunity to study rural and environmental issues from a Christian viewpoint. It is available to anyone with a personal or professional concern for the environment and countryside, rural communities and church.
• Climate Stewards is a Christian organisation that can help you calculate your carbon footprint. It is a member of the A Rocha family of organisations. 
• CreatureKind provides resources, programmes and advocacy to enable churches to think about farmed animals and food systems in connection to Christian faith.
• Eco Church is a programme run by A Rocha UK to equip churches to care for creation. It provides a framework to support your church to take practical action on caring for God’s earth, through the Eco Church survey. Currently over 9,000 churches are registered and more than 4,500 Eco Church awards have been made.
• Faith for the Climate is an interfaith environment and social justice group.
• Green Christian supports Christians from all backgrounds and traditions to care for creation through prayer, action and encouragement.
• Hope4Creation seeks to educate, inspire and support faith communities for action on climate change .
• Hope for the Future is a national organisation that helps people and churches engage politically on climate and nature issues.
• The John Ray Initiative is an educational charity that seeks to bring together scientific and Christian understandings of the environment in a way that can be widely communicated and lead to effective action. They offer resources and events, and curate the CRES course.
• The Laudato Si’ Research Institute, based at Campion Hall, University of Oxford, produces reports, articles and scholarly research on projects around the world, all based on an ‘integral ecology’ paradigm. They also host a library of scholarly and reference books on environmental theology and social justice related to creation care.
• Operation Noah is a Christian charity seeking to inspire the Church towards action on the climate crisis. It provides educational initiatives directed towards Christians and faith-based support to mainstream environmental campaigns. Its Green Investment and Church Land campaign work focuses on UK churches, including the Church of England. It also enables you to request speakers for church events or festivals around the UK. 
• Sarx is a charity dedicated to promoting animal welfare and encouraging Christians to act as stewards of creation.
• Tearfund has a programme to support communities affected by the climate and ecological crisis.