“Stewardship and the Creation”
A team of Brigham Young University professors from several disciplines has recently published a new book, titled “Stewardship and the Creation,” which examines the views of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the environment.
George B. Handley from the humanities faculty worked with Terry B. Ball, dean of Religious Education, and integrative biology professor Steven L. Peck to edit this volume, which “offers a vital perspective on, and a foundation for, effective environmental stewardship that encompasses the best impulses of both liberal generosity and conservative restraint,” according to Handley.
The book is a required textbook for the BYU courses Humanities 490 and Honors 347, “Religion and the Environment.”
“Stewardship and the Creation” discusses how the views of members of the Church of Jesus Christ compare to the world’s views about the environment. The book also addresses issues such as the debate over reintroducing wolves into the western United States, the impact of the pioneers’ beliefs on current environmental policies in Utah, and the need to address issues such as urban sprawl and limited water supplies in the West.
The book is “a groundbreaking work, one of the first books to discuss LDS perspectives on the environment,” said Devan Jensen, executive editor at the Religious Studies Center at BYU, which published the volume. Jensen said that the book was primarily directed at Church members and people in the western United States, but adds that the principles involved have much broader application.
For more information, contact George Handley at (801) 422-7151, george_handley@byu.edu.
Writer: George Handley
