Lesson 11: What does the Bible say about caring for the environment?

• Students will explore and understand the Bible’s teaching related to environmental stewardship, including the principles and responsibilities outlined in the scriptures.
• Students will analyse the implications of biblical teachings on environmental care, considering how these teachings should influence Christian views and practices.
• Students will reflect on how to apply the Bible’s teaching to contemporary environmental issues, and what their own responsibility is.

• Students can explain the key principles that are outlined in the Bible related to care for and stewardship of the environment.
• Students can identify the ways in which a biblical perspective on the environment should shape their own attitudes and behaviours.
• Students can articulate their own convictions around how the teaching of the Bible should be applied to current environmental issues.

Students look at the images in the article ‘20 climate photographs that changed the world’ (The Guardian, 5^th November 2022) and complete a Think-Pair-Share on the photo which stood out the most to them.

As a class listen to the vox pop from the World Environment Day podcast episode (listen to 01:25-03:25). Lead a class discussion in response to the following questions:

1. Why do you think the environment is in the state that it’s in?
2. What is it about human nature that makes us trash the planet?

Read some excerpts from the article ‘Young people’s climate anxiety revealed in landmark survey’ (Nature, 22^nd Sep. 2021). Students can indicate their own responses to the two questions using a digital discussion platform.

1. How worried are you about climate change? (extremely / very / moderately / a little / not at all)
2. Climate change makes me feel… (Choose up to three words)

Teacher facilitates student response, including to the following statements:

• “The Bible teaches that it is important to care for the environment.”
• “The world has been damaged beyond repair”
• “Climate change isn’t being taken seriously by those in power”

If you’re unfamiliar with this learning protocol you can read the instructions and access a slides template for the Human Barometer Activity here.

Use some, or all, of these resources as a basis for the following learning activities.

• Clip:‘John Lennox on environmental stewardship’ (3:39)
• Article: ‘Striking for our climate is the Christian thing to do’ (4 min)
• Podcast Extract: World Environment Day (6 min)

Students complete a ‘Connect-Extend-Challenge’ thinking routine based on what they have watched and read, and then fill out their responses in a table.

Use some, or all, of these resources as a basis for the following learning activities.

• Podcast Extract: ‘Forestmaker’ (15 min)
• Podcast Extract: ‘Making space: community and creation care’ (8 min)
• Article: ‘There’s an unexpected glimmer of hope in Christmas, even as Australia burns’ (4 min)

Students do the ‘Step Inside’ thinking routine for ONE of the above resources

1. What can this person see, observe, or notice?
2. What might this person know, understand, hold true, or believe?
3. What might this person care deeply about?
4. What might this person wonder about or question?

Then discuss where students think that the authors find hope when it comes to the future of our planet? What is your reaction to this?

Students Draft an email to one of the authors in response to what they read in their stories, sharing something that stood out to them, a question they’d like to ask, and anything else they may want to include.

In small groups, students read the following verses from the Bible and create a mind-map to summarise what they teach about creation and how humans should relate to it:

Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 2:15, Psalm 8:6, Leviticus 25:3-5, Psalm 24:1-2, Psalm 104:30, Matthew 22:36-40, Romans 13:10, Revelation 11:16-18, Revelation 21:1-5

Now students read Genesis 1:26-28, Psalm 8:6, 2 Peter 3:10-13 and Revelation 21:1-5, and discuss how they could be used to argue that caring for the environment shouldn’t be a priority.

Students write any questions that any of these verses have raised for the about what the Bible teaches about caring for the environment on a post-it note.

Create a placard (based on an idea from this lesson) that could be used in a climate march.

Students discuss the following:

1. How would you respond to a friend who tells you the Bible teaches that we shouldn’t care about the environment?
2. What arguments could you use to challenge their views? And what extra information would you like to have to build your argument?

Students complete a ‘3, 2, 1 Reflection’ thinking routine on the content covered in this, writing down 3 things they’ve learnt, 2 questions they still have and 1 challenge they face.

Choose an organisation founded on Christian values that is actively working in the area of creation-care, such as A Rocha or World Vision (other examples include Common Grace, Operation Noah, Christian Climate Action, Climate Vigil, Catholic Climate Covenant, and Evangelical Environmental Network).

Prepare a short presentation (maximum five slides) outlining the work they do, and the values that motivate their work.