The Green Bible

"It’s trying to be. It’s green in terms of the materials it’s made from. And it tries to guide readers towards an environmental engagement with the text. It’s a growing interest among many Christians, even conservative evangelicals. This Bible literally highlights in green the texts that have ecological implications. The first chapter of Genesis is all in green, as is anything that relates to creation or nature. That includes references to animals. In the Passover story in Exodus, verses four and five in chapter 11 are highlighted because the firstborn of the livestock are going to be killed. I’m not sure how useful that is for constructing an environmental theology. The Green Bible includes essays by fairly well-known theologians, such as Wendell Berry and Brian McLaren. There’s also a green subject index at the end, which refers readers to relevant passages. I like Mark Twain’s idea of the Bible as a drugstore where you can find poison and cure. There are many moments in biblical literature that, interpreted in certain ways, can contribute to an eco-spirituality or eco-theology. But there are also passages that can lead to environmental irresponsibility. This includes the first creation story, where God tells us to subdue and have dominion over all living things. It suggests you should control and stomp over nature and use it as you wish. There are, of course, ways around reading the text in that way. It’s certainly trying to tap into that market. My guess is that it’s not the first Bible most people own. Part of the challenge of Bible publishing is to add value and encourage people to buy another version. People frequently buy Bibles as gifts and I can see how this Bible might appeal. I’m sympathetic to this Bible’s interests and I don’t think it’s a pure gimmick. But publishers are always thinking about new markets."