Wilkinson, Katharine K. Between God and green?: How Evangelicals are Cultivating a Middle Ground on Climate Change. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. pages: xviii+234. ISBN: 978-0-19-9895885.
In popular perception of outsiders, Evangelical movement is unconcerned about social issues and environmental care. However, this book busts that myth! Wilkinson has not only established that the evangelicals are in the thick of creation care and related issues but also suggests that they are the crucial factor in the movement at least in North America. She suggests that their role is very important for the climate and environmental issue of our world. Without their continuing engagement, the world could be a lot more hotter and unlivable than now!
In this book, Wilkinson charts the history of evangelical engagement with environmental issues beginning with the history of the movement itself. It also documents the present state of the movement. The author is however, an outsider but who moved with the evangelicals for the purpose of her research only. So, by all means this is not hagiography by a devoted evangelical but considerably objective.
The appendix where we find the nine crucial documents that has to do with evangelical environmental care adds to its value.These documents are:
1. ‘On the Care of Creation. An Evangelical Declaration on the Care of Creation’ (1994)
2. ‘Oxford Declaration on Global Warming’ (2002)
3. ‘Sandy Cove Covenant and Invitation’ (2004)
4. An Excerpt from ‘For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility’ (2004)
5. ‘Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action’ (2006)
6. ‘An Urgent Call to Action: Scientists and Evangelicals Unite to Protect Creation’ (2007)
7. ‘Principles for Federal Policy on Climate Change’ (2007)
8. ‘A Southern Baptist Policy on Climate Change’ (2007)
9. ‘Vineyard Churches: Seven-Year Plan for American Evangelicalism’ (2009)
In addition, a four-page long list of names and affiliations of the key players of the evangelical movement in various aspects of creation care are given. This will help the students to trace their works and widen the horizon of their study on the topic.
This certainly is the best documentation ever published on the evangelical climate care.