So We and Our Children May Live: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis

by Sarah Augustine, Sheri Hostetler

Will we choose life for our children and the future of our planet?

Everywhere we look, we see signs that all is not right with our earth—extreme temperatures and weather patterns wreak havoc, pollutants sour soils and waterways, and fires and floods ravage land and communities. Climate change is just a symptom of a larger ecological crisis. If we want change, we must realize that the solutions to the problems we face can’t come through the same systems that created those problems in the first place.
Ecological justice requires that we challenge our assumptions about creation and our relationship to it. It requires decolonization. We must turn to the leadership of Indigenous communities who struggle for all life as land and water protectors, and must call on people of faith to join them.
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This book offers hope for a better future alongside concrete actions for joining with Indigenous Peoples to protect life and negotiate with decision-makers for sustainable change that follows Jesus. In these pages, readers are called to confront climate change and choose life for our children and the future of our planet.
 

Genres: Environment, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

Published October 31, 2023

About the author

Sarah Augustine is founder and cochair of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery and executive director of the Dispute Resolution Center of Yakima and Kittitas Counties. Augustine, who is Pueblo (Tewa), has written for Sojourners, The Mennonite, and other publications, and she is an adjunct professor at Heritage University. She and her husband, Dan Peplow, and their son live in the Yakima Valley of Washington.

Reviews

[Clif Hostetler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a serious but nuanced presentation of the science related to the climate crisis by then also supplementing that science information with segments of “visions,” poetry, and Bible study. Personal narrative from the two co-authors, one an Indigenous woman and the other a white settler woman, also provides additional perspective on climate overreach by considering issues related to Indigenous rights and justice.

Let me elaborate on the above summary description by describing the division of the book's contents. The book is divided into three parts of three chapters each. At the beginning of each of these three parts are short "vision" and poetry segments written by the two authors, and then toward the end of each part and many sections are Bible lessons applicable to the climate issues being discussed. Readers responsible for preparing sermons about climate change may find these references to scripture helpful. First person narrative of personal thoughts and experiences of the co-author's are scattered throughout the book's contents.

Below are the titles and my summary descriptions of each of the three parts of the book's narrative.

Part I: Reality versus Reality
The following is a summary explanation of the two realities referenced by the above title:
The reality that our individualistic, extractive, dualistic, hierarchical, reductionistic, abstract, self-referential, and short-term worldview is leading to catastrophic ecological change and potential tipping points;
Versus the reality that we live within the earth's closed ecological system of mutual dependence, and present levels of resource extraction need to reduce to be within the capacities of the complex systems that sustain life on this Earth. This second view of Reality is found in many Indigenous cosmologies.

Part II: Beyond Green Growth
Green growth is a concept in economic theory and policymaking used to describe paths of economic growth that are environmentally sustainable. This book makes the case that green growth is unjust, unrealistic, and limited. Green growth's plans for non-fossil fueled economic growth is simply replacing one extractive system with another extractive system. (i.e. replacing petroleum with rare earth minerals for solar panels). Also, economic growth can't continue forever on a finite earth.
(See Excerpts No.1 & No.2 below.)

Part III: Imagining a Decolonized Future
Colonization is a complex of ideas and actions that justifies claims of ownership and rights to the land for the purposes of extraction of wealth—often at the cost of injustices to the land's indigenous inhabitants. Decolonization must seek to repair these past injustices and learn to live within the earth's regenerative capacity and limited resources. Thus changes must be systemic and go beyond changes to individual behaviors. Thus institutional, economic, and cultural systems will all need to decolonized (a.k.a change).
(See Excerpt No.4 below.)

The book does not offer anything as explicit as a ten step program to achieve decolonization. In conclusion the book suggests choosing hope and humility, be open to creative change, and work toward building exploratory processes. The book repeatedly suggests exploring the practices of Indigenous Peoples for ideas related to life in balance with the earth.
__________
Below are some excerpts from the book that caught my attention:

Excerpt No.1
The following excerpt brings up an argument that I and many readers may make in response to this book:

I had a similar conversation with a congregant at a church. I visited recently. "We have to support mineral extraction, because it will provide us with sustainable energy solutions like solar panels and lithium batteries," he argued. "You may as well be speaking on behalf of the oil and gas industries. When you encourage churches to challenge mineral extraction, you are opposing the carbon-neutral economy."
When I proposed curtailing energy use as a solution, he responded, "This is a modern society based upon progress. You may be willing to go back to subsistence agriculture and hunting and gathering, but I'm not willing to.” (p. 61)

Excerpt No.2
The following is one of by favorite quotes:

Economist and Quaker peace activist Kenneth Boulding supposedly said, “The only people who think infinite growth is possible on a finite planet are either madmen or economists.” (p. 160)

Excerpt No.3
The following excerpt caught my attention because I have investments with Everence:

We asked the Christian financial services company Everence to help us by requesting negotiations between Newmont mine in Suriname and Indigenous communities impacted by the mine. Since Everence—and by extension, its stockholders—holds stock in Newmont mine, it has the positional power to at least arrange a meeting with the leaders of the Newmont mine. We are currently in negotiations with Everence regarding this request. (p. 187)

Excerpt No.4
The following are some examples of actions that this book would consider to be "engaging in decolonization":

Engaging in decolonization requires collectively working for institutional change and for change in laws and policies.
… for example, what if control of every fracking permit and every oil and gas permit had to be approved by the Native American tribe that would be most affected by the proposed project?
What if ordinary people petitioned the Department of the Interior, asking that they require Indigenous approval of all land use permits?
How might this affect drilling and fracking? How might this kind of change in perspective and leadership affect carbon emissions? (p. 195)

The following link is to a podcast in which the two co-authors discuss issues related to Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery. As of the date of this writing 24 episodes have been posted since June of 2021:
https://anabaptistworld.org/podcast-l...

[Zoe Matties · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time with this book. Reading about all the horrible things that are happening/going to happen to our world because of climate change, extractivism, capitalism etc, when I spend the majority of my waking hours working on climate and biodiversity issues, gets to be a lot after a while. I find myself hopeless after reading that nothing we're doing now is making any difference, and none of the climate solutions are actually true solutions. At the same time, I do believe this book has an important and urgent message. We cannot continue to live the way we do, and we must follow the lead of Indigenous communities as we dream a new world.
One thing I really appreciated about this book is that Augustine and Hostetler broaden our view of the climate crisis. It isn't just about carbon emissions, but also about what we are doing to the rest of creation. Climate change is just one symptom of a much larger problem of living beyond the earth's capacity, living as though we are separate from creation.

[Stephanie’s Ninth Suitcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a complimentary ARC of the book from the publisher. Opinions expressed are my own.

I'm giving this five stars in spite of some content concerns because I think this book's argument is very important.

Scripture Connection
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live…”
Deut. 30:19

Spiritual Themes
In addition to the expected theme of stewardship, the book has a huge emphasis on reality vs. Reality, with the first term referring to a greed-based, exploitative approach—and the latter referring to true Reality. In the first system of thought, Creation only “exists” insofar as we can use it. In the second, we recognize our responsibility for the beautiful world we have been given to care for. I really appreciate books that invite me to hearken back to truth (C.S. Lewis’ The Silver Chair comes to mind).

Social justice is also a significant theme, as the authors expose the wickedness of colonialization and actively advocate for decolonization.

What to Expect
The book consists of ten chapters, divided into three parts. Chapters build off of each other to shape the book’s arguments.

In addition to the typical research and commentary, the book is also shaped by several visions Augustine received, along with Hostetler’s poetic responses to these visions.

Experience Reading
The Land is Not Empty, also by Sarah Augustine, was one of the first ARCs I read as a book reviewer. So We and Our Children May Live combines two things that are important to me, as a Christian: environmental justice and social justice. The book’s blurb caught my attention, as the book is about how we can learn from Indigenous peoples, when it comes to our relationship with the earth. In addition to being Indigenous myself, my heart breaks for the genocide that ripped land away from people groups. Both this title and The Land is Not Empty demonstrate how the colonial mindset continues to dehumanize and oppress Indigenous peoples, today.

This was a hard book to read. In addition to the fact that the subject matter is hard (the authors do not shy away from the harsh reality of the ways that people have– and continue to– destroy the planet), one of the authors’ central arguments is that even popular attempts to mitigate climate change are ultimately not going to solve the problem. Instead, the authors argue, we need a systematic change with a complete reversal of capitalism and the “growth mindset.” (The growth mindset is the idea that a country’s wellbeing can be measured in terms of money and production, and “growth” requires depleting the earth of its natural resources).

And, unpopular as this may be, I agree with that way of thinking.

But, one of the more challenging things about the book is that the author does not offer tangible solutions. This is clearly by design and not an accident– the authors’ humility is beautiful as they discuss why it is necessary to achieve communal answers, rather than expecting a single person to lay out a plan. Even so, this made for a less “cushy” reading experience, as there are not simple answers. Additionally, I have to admit that I felt discouraged at points, because all of the emphasis on systematic change. The whole point is that it’s not something an individual can achieve– which certainly goes against the grain of ingrained Western tradition.

With all that said, I feel that the book does exactly what it sets out to do– and does it well. It just wasn’t an “easy” read.

What I Liked
There are so many succinct and powerful-passages that succinctly and unflinchingly expose the truth—even when that truth is inconvenient.

Both authors are Mennonite, and Hostetler, in describing her heritage, states, “I didn’t know that my pacifist ancestors were the foot soldiers of the settler colonial project that is the United States.” I really like the military language here, not as a critique of Mennonite settlers in particular, but because of the unabashed acknowledgement of the reality of colonialism in North America.

Here’s another one:

"While the dominant culture views “progress” as the accumulation of power, wealth and security over time in a single direction, nature reveals a constant process of birth and death that spans far beyond a single lifetime."
Sarah Augustine, So We and Our Children May Live

"A posture of selfishness is a core assumption in our society and is regarded as not only justifiable but morally good (and legally good, in the instance of corporations)."
Augustine and Hostetler, So We and Our Children May Live

For this reason, it makes sense that:

"People who live in harmony within the limits of the earth are under attack."
Augustine and Hostetler, So We and Our Children May Live

Argumentation
I observed that the author’s create a hierarchical flow within their arguments, with ensuing chapters clearly building on the ones before. The authors also do a fantastic job of unpacking challenging concepts– clearly defining unclear terminology and hearkening back to preceding chapters to trace the flow of the argument. This is especially important because of the complexity of the arguments. The authors assume that the readers are being introduced to new information, which was generally true in my case– and explanations contextualize information for the layman.

Humility
I referenced this above, but the authors’ humility is beautiful and refreshing. I especially appreciated their comments about failure and success, which were included in discussions about “succeeding” in systemic change:

"We cannot be afraid to act for fear of failure. We are already failing — and doing nothing ensures failure. There is freedom in acknowledging that we haven’t succeeded yet."
-Augustine and Hostetler, So We and Our Children May Live

This is an excellent reminder, both in and out of context.

Content Notes
There’s a reference to the “Agricultural Revolution, which started roughly twelve thousand years ago…” (emphasis mine).

There were a few references to God that were a bit different, for me… a use of a plural pronoun in reference to the act of Creation. This does make sense biblically, though, as “the Word was with God and the Word was God” (John 1). There’s a single reference to “Spirit,” referring to the Holy Spirit, which is outside of my personal comfort zone. Additionally, I wasn’t sure what to make of lines referencing God “evolving,” and a quote saying that, “Without the land, God ceases to work.”

As a significant aside, one of the authors is heavily involved in the LGBTQ movement. This is one of those moments of frustration for me, because I so heartily agree with so much of what the book is saying (and it, thankfully, does NOT bring up the LGBTQ movement), but I 100% do not support “advocating” for a sinful lifestyle.

Recommendation Status
In spite of how hard it was for me to read, and ideological differences I have with the author, I do feel that this is a very important book. Recommended as a prayerful read for people who recognize the need for better stewardship of the planet.

[Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

So We And Our Children May Live is a grim but hopeful book. Co-written by Sarah Augustine and Sheri Hostetler, two writers with more than the usual amount of wisdom as well as a vision into the future, point out the way people live, especially the wealthiest people, is not sustainable, and is killing our brothers and sisters, not to mention the other plant and animal species that sustain us.
In her previous book The Land is Not Empty, Augustine, a native American, reminds us that the stealing of land and resources from indigineous people is ongoing. In her new book she strongly recommends that if we want to save ourselves from the worst effects of clinate change we must consult and listen to the wisdom of indigenous peoples who knew how to live in harmony with creation, long before Europeans invaded, attacked them, and stole their land.

In my life I've read a lot about threats to the environment, the latest and most menacing being climate change. As a Christian I believe one of my chief responsibilities, perhaps my chief responsibility, is to be a good steward of God's creation. So my wife and I have 28 solar panels on our roof, a high efficiency heat pump, an eleven year old electric car with 95,000 miles on it, and before retiring seven years ago I frequently biked or took the bus to work. I feel good about that as I sit here in a Starbucks writing this after eating an avocado bagel and sipping on a mango dragonfruit lemonade drink. I obviously have some limitations on the sacrifices I've made. So what?
I noted frequently while reading this book that these authors take me a good deal further than I've been before. This origial title covers new ground in pointing out that what we need now is not necessarily a structural change, but a whole new foundation, a foundation that puts people, communities, relationships, and future generations as priorities. To survive and thrive we have to plan for the future differently, myself included.

The authors write; "To confront the climate crises, we must transition from protest, which is mainly symbolic, to dismantling, which attempts to change reality. We must do more than to simply ask an institution in power to stop what it is doing; dismantling requires imagining different structures that are designed to do different things. Our current, extractive economy is doing what it is designed to do. If we use an extractive economy to fight climate change, we will simply change what we extract: minerals rather than fossil fuels. The purpose will remain the same: to extract. If we want the economy to do something else - for instance, to ensure the well-being of families and communities, which include all life forms on planet Earth -then we need to build an economy designed to do that" (Page 179).



Augustine has worked at trying to dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery which is still stealing and colonizing indigenous peoples around the world. This problem of colonization shows up repeatedly in this book. She reminds us that peace cannot be achieved without seeking justice. The subtitle is "Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crises" so much of this emphasis is about how we, as Christians, treat other people.

Another quote: " Our dominant culture is making us sick. The racial superiority, hierarchy, and hegemony embeded in our individualistic, capitalist culture result in obesity, depression, anxiety, and unhappiness. Perhaps it is time to consider changing our culture" (Page 237). This book gave me a lot to think about and to reconsider about my own life. I highly recommend reading it, but read it courageously because it may change your life.

(Both authors are co-founders of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery and cohosts of the podcast of the same name. Augustine is a Pueblo (Tewa) descendant and a columnist for Anabaptist World. Hostetler is a poet and has been lead pastor of First Mennonite Church in San Francisco since 2000.) Oct, 2024

[Josh Olds · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I write this review, the United Nations Climate Change Conference is meeting in Dubai to discuss what action is necessary to curtail human influence on climate change. The news coming from the conference is both hopeful and sobering. Real change is possible. But real change will also mean really changing. And we’re on the brink of no return. Christians, you would think, would be at the forefront of climate care. After all, the very first job given to humanity by God is the care of creation. Unfortunately, eschatology, economics, and the quest for power has subverted that interpretation. Many Christians now believe that we were created to dominate over Creation—and that since God will destroy the world anyway, we are free to use it up to its fullest.

Shouting over that destructive message comes the passionate cries of Sarah Augustine and Sheri Hostetler in So We and Our Children May Live: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis. The authors offer a unique perspective on the climate crisis, viewing it as a symptom of a larger ecological problem that demands a radical shift in our understanding of creation and our relationship to it. And in this, they are speaking not only to the climate change denying evangelicals but also the science-believers and climatologists at the UN Climate Change Conference—the solutions to our current ecological crisis cannot be found within the systems that created the problems in the first place.

Instead, Augustine and Hostetler argue for something radical in its simplicity: the necessity of decolonization and the imperativeness of listening to the leadership of Indigenous communities who live in harmony with the natural world. So We and Our Children May Live is the outgrowth of Augustine and Hostetler’s podcast Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery, which in turn stemmed from Augustine’s book The Land is Not Empty. Augustine, a Pueblo (Tewa) descendent, has worked extensively with Indigenous people and been a voice for decolonization. Hostetler is a Mennonite of Amish descent, whose people are very close to nature.

If I’m to be completely honest, the message of So We and Our Children May Live isn’t exactly palatable. It difficult to swallow. It requires so much upending of the status quo and even exposes so-called “Green Growth” as being exploitative and unrealistic. The truth is that our current way of life is not sustainable on this earth. It simply isn’t. Augustine and Hostetler also point toward capitalism and the desire for wealth and power as contributing factors toward the problem. It’s a radical, passionate call for a different way of life, a different way of being.

This book is a challenge to us. Not just about whether or not we will agree that there is a climate crisis or even about how we will solve it, but a challenge to the way in which our lives are oriented. Are Augustine and Hostetler calling us back to an ancient way of life, where our technologies are laid down and we become one with the land? Can technology and nature coexist? The authors do not offer easy answers, but neither do they say it is impossible. Rather, they simply ask us to open our eyes and hearts toward what more we can do to enact sustainable change and become once again the caretakers of Creation to which God has entrusted us.

[Grant Showalter-Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently had the opportunity to read and write the study guide for Sarah Augustine and Sheri Hostetler’s new book, "So We and Our Children May Live: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis." Reading this text was both a challenge and an inspiration. As Patty Krawec states in the forward, “In addition to laying out the stark realities of our circumstances, Sarah and Sheri have also laid out strategies for that confrontation. Things that we can and should do, things we can and should demand” (11). Consequently, this book is a prophetic naming of the disastrous realities of the global climate crisis, while also being a practical guide for responding to this present nightmare.

Augustine and Hostetler approach this collaborative work together, bringing their full identities to bear as North Americans: Augustine as a Pueblo (Tewa) descendant and Mennonite; Hostetler as a descendant of Swiss Amish Mennonite farmers. Through this collaborative dialogic, Augustine and Hostetler name the process of confronting the climate crisis as the work of decolonization, solidarity, and survival. They strive to accomplish this work by structuring the book into three parts.

The first part contrasts the lived experiences of “Reality” versus the web of lies spun by the global extractive logic of “reality.” As Christians, Augustine and Hostetler connect “Reality” with God’s kingdom vision for the world: past, present, and future. In the second part of the book, Augustine and Hostetler interrogate popularized approaches to climate change through the “Green Growth” movement and reveal the deadly limitations of these initiatives. Finally, in the third part, Augustine and Hostetler propose an alternate vision of ecological justice and right relationship by providing tangible steps toward co-creating a decolonized future.

Augustine and Hostetler provide a compelling and practical case that both names Reality and offers practical steps toward co-creating a just future for all people and creation. As Augustine and Hostetler reveal, the stakes are great: “We can imagine and choose a life-sustaining, just civilization, or we can continue business as usual. Life and death. What’s good and what’s wrong. That is our choice” (26). My hope and prayer is that this book, and the discussions sparked by it through conversations, reading groups, and study-guide engagement, can lead us toward action in choosing life. Amen.

[Geoff Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm utterly impressed by this book. And challenged by it. Hostetler and Augustine have penned an eloquent and accessible account of their own confrontations with the climate crisis. They're especially attuned to the impacts of the ongoing displacement of Indigenous people the entire world over and the limits of "green growth" for truly avoiding ecological overshoot. I've been thinking of climate change through the narrow band of carbon emissions. They have pointed out to me the glaring truth that carbon emissions are but one symptom of the much larger problem of living out of tune and time with the very Earth itself. This is as radical a Christian book as I've ever read on the topic of living into an earthy future amidst this climate crisis.

[Christopher J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a hopeful, spiritual, and entirely unsparing look at climate change, indigenous rights, and the history and structures that drive them together, with lots of resources and references. It's a hard prophetic message from the Real, a call for justice and transformation in the service of life.

[Jessica Klassen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-opening to how our current world continues to extract earth's resources at a rate that is unattainable for future generations. Hopeful in naming the issues and challenging readers to dream a new Reality where EARTH is the center and interconnectedness is a core value.

[Justin Swanson]

👀read with eyes, along with an impressive discussion guide!

[Joni · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was big on naming problems but small on providing solutions. Depressing.

[Rebecca E Mentzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this with my Book Group. I know we have a climate crisis. I know and believe it is something we need to deal with individually and collectively. I don't think this book helped me understand how.