THE GREENING OF THE CHURCH

                        In August of 1990, a two week seminar was held called, "The Greening of the Church." This

was an opportunity for Christian denominations of all faiths, protestant and catholic, to join in

on exploring the urgent needs facing the environment and the church. The stated purpose of

course was to explore long standing Christian theology and the "environmental"

responsibilities the church needs to continue living on Planet earth. This conference held

workshops discussing the following:

“The fundamental theological and spiritual issues facing an ecologically sensitive

church;

“The ways on which historic Christian theology may have fostered or condoned

attitudes and values directly contributing to our destruction of the natural world;

(One is left wondering if Christian doctrine is not changed to the new improved version" will

Christians of the old time Gospel be persecuted for ruining their planet?)

"The 'new story' of Gaia or the living earth, its functional cosmology and implications

for Christian theology;

"The emerging creation-centered spirituality and theology...

"The development of interfaith action to foster environmental responsibility...

(Another ecumenical tie.)

"Tools and study resources for individual and church community..."

The second week of this conference was listed as "creating strategies for the greening of the

church." This seminar was sponsored and held at the New Age learning center of Chinook

Core Faculty at Whidbey Island Washington. Matthew Fox, lecturer and author of "The

Coming of the Cosmic Christ" and Fr. Thomas Berry were some of the featured speakers.

Chinook embraces the more hard core New Age types such as David Spangler, and Fritz Hull,

a board member of Chinook.

Still on the surface, most Christians could say this is extreme and most Christians would see

through New Age doctrine. Is it possible that a new theology is being laid at this level and has

already been leaked into the church, with Christian terminology and theology attached? In

Matthew Fox's book "The Coming of the Cosmic Christ", page 228 states "Deep ecumenism is

the movement that will unleash the wisdom of all world religions... The unleashing of wisdom

holds the last hope for the survival of the planet we call home..." On page 7 it offers, "The

coming together of the historical Jesus and the Cosmic Christ will make Christianity whole at

last."

Already there are well funded public interest groups that are publishing their

environmentalists theology, which they termed "ecotheology." This is a fine blend of

Christianity and mysticism. One group is "The North American Coalition on Religion and

Ecology" located in Washington D.C. In their Spring 1995 ECO Letter, they advertise "Ethics

in an Age of Technology," by Ian Barbour's, a set of lectures titled the Gilford Lectures. In the

past these same lectures were delivered by Carl Jung and Reinhold Neibuhr. These were

delivered in Scotland 1990-1991 with the purpose to relate the worlds religion, philosophy and

science. Any Christian who knows Carl Jung's philosophy, which is pure paganism, should

question any conclusion that the environmentalists are making and the scientific data collected

from such sources should be suspect.

NACRE/CORE are collaborating these efforts across the country which they call PEW

GLOBAL Stewardship. This is a pilot project for congregations. One of the other projects is

called Earth Stewardship program for ministers and educators. NACRE has a list of books and

resources you can choose from.

1. Christianity and Ecology

2. Judaism and Ecology

3. Islam and Ecology

4. Hinduism and Ecology

5. Buddhism and Ecology

The environmental concerns and the theology behind it is entering the church under the guise

of "Earth Stewardship".

In the Coalition on Revival Dominionist magazine titled "Crosswinds", Vol. I, No.2, 1992, E.

Calvin Beisner, a member of COR's steering committee as of 1992, writes an eight page

article titled “Environmentalism or Stewardship?"

In it he states,

“Environmentalists want to reduce human population and preserve nature untouched

by human hands. It ignores the effects of God's curse on the earth and man's call, as

God's steward to reverse those effects..."

"So it is with man's stewardship of the earth God calls us to restore it from the curse,

to multiply its resources…"

We are to transform the earth into a garden not an inner city slum. I am predicting

great material wealth for the vast majority of mankind everywhere..."

If we redistribute land to everyone, redistribute wealth, take dominion over the planet, return

the world to the garden of Eden, then why believe in the Rapture, or Christ's return? In fact

this would also mean Satan has his lost power. In fact we are now Co-Creators with Christ!

From what I can tell from the article, it implies we are to then redistribute property out of

government control into private sectors and individuals to hold private property rights, so they

can enforce their Mosaic laws.

Beisner insists the term environment comes from the French word meaning to turn around and

is not limited to nature, but to business', houses, cars, health care, etc.

That is fine for the French! The question is it Biblical? The Reconstructionists and

Dominionists can disagree with the Environmentalist Humanist agenda, but the New Agers are

not Humanist. They are very spiritual and have a dominion mandate as well. The humanist

agenda argument is a straw dog that has been set up by the Dominionist to create the

appearance of separation between themselves and the new age movement as a whole.

Dennis Peacock, a Coalition on Revival member, has clearly stated this in his July 1988, Vol.l,

No.1 newsletter called EQUITY,

"Coalition building has become an integral tool of Public Policy influence to an

increasingly threatened Christian minority in America. Better known as a tactic of 'So-

Called' leftists, it might seem strange that evangelical Christians would resort to a

practice that seems so associated with those who apparently oppose biblical

principles.

“'Coalition' is most often understood as the ability of a number of diverse interest

groups, often with very little common interest, to unite around a specific objective,

even if under other circumstances they might be at enmity with one another..."

Amos 3:3 "can two walk together except they agree. "

Peacock continues:

“An inherent danger of coalition-building is to see it as an end in itself. It is an

important but limited tool which allows Christians and God-fearers of very diverse

traditions to fellowship in the trenches of this spiritual war. The irony of having gone

through real warfare together is that you may have more in common with these fellow

warriors than with members of your own tradition."

Alvin Toller's book "Power Shift, has a whole section on Eco-theocracy:

“Across the world, meanwhile a green tide is gathering momentum too. This movement for

ecological sanity is essential - a positive example of ordinary people around the world leading

their leaders... This group reduces the history of our relations with nature to biblical

allegory...Now we must transit to a new 'paradise' of perfect sustainability and harmony. If not

we face armageddon."

Rudolf Bahro, an influential Green theorist now living in West Germany, explicitly holds that

what is needed is "theology, not ecology - the birth of a new Golden Age which cultivates...the

nobility of man." He reaches back into the 13th century to quote Meister Eckhart, the founder

of German mysticism.

The fact remains what is needed is a return to the simple Gospel and Love and respect for

Jesus Christ. We are waiting for the Lord to transform us. He will again make all things new.

We will never accomplish what only he can and will do. He does not need our help. He

created this world without us. He will transform it and make it again the same way without the

co-creators doctrinal manuals.

- Lanette Irwin 
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This article was taken from Discerning Ministries Newsletter Volume 6, Number 4 July/August 1995
http://www.discernment-ministries.org/Newsletters/NL1995JulAug.pdf