Rooted Faith: Practices for Living Well on a Fragile Planet

by Sarah Renee Werner

There is hope yet that we may embrace the call to live differently on this fragile planet. As temperatures rise, natural disasters wreak devastation, and precious species die off one by one, we know we must change how we live in the world. But how? What would it look like if we took seriously the biblical charge to live more peacefully and gently on our fragile planet, if we understood ourselves as neighbors in a community of creation? Rooted Faith explores the future of the church called to live differently--one of reinhabiting our particular landscapes and confronting the assumptions of consumer culture head-on through our lives and actions. Drawing on Scripture, Christian history, and practical theology, author Sarah Renee Werner invites readers into a new way of seeing ourselves in relationship with the rest of creation. She offers tangible practices for opening up our hearts to both the beauty and tragedy around us and guides us toward meaningful action to restore creation. There has never been a more crucial moment to reclaim this overlooked aspect of our faith as we seek to live differently--live well --on this fragile planet.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published September 19, 2023

Reviews

[Stephanie’s Ninth Suitcase · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disclosure: I requested and received a complimentary review copy from the publisher. Opinions expressed are my own.

This title ended up being a DNF for me.

Why This Title Interested Me

I was very interested in the book on the basis of the synopsis. Stewardship is very important to me. It’s unfortunately a very politicized topic, but the Bible clearly states that we are to take care of the earth and I keep my eyes open for Christian titles that emphasize stewardship.

Positives
I read nearly 2/3 of the book and found that the author raised some good points and offered some practical suggestions for becoming more attuned to Creation. For instance, she recommends learning about the native soil and about local plant and animal species, and she talks about how we can take observing walks to connect with the landscape around us.

Content and DNFing
I also observed some places where I agreed with the author’s conclusions, but questioned the foundations of those conclusions. Ultimately, the reason I stopped reading was because it seemed that the author has a fundamentally different view of the Bible than I do: her commentary often reads as the Bible being a work of literature.

This came to head for me in the chapter on lament, where Werner argues that the book of Joshua was written "as a generative myth to explain the beginning of Israelite religion" (108). She writes that the Israelites' driving out of the Canaanites is "portrayed as the will of God" and further states that "the writers of the Bible were fallible, imperfect humans who recorded stories that reinforced their beliefs and customs" (108).

I am very uncomfortable with the author's implication that the people of Israel were acting of their own accord and not in obedience to God. While I recognize that our OWN cultural understanding and human fallibility mean we do not always understand God's commands, I am very uncomfortable with the author's assertions that God was not behind the expulsion of the Canaanites.

So, while there were positive elements of the book that I appreciated, this is a DNF for me.

[Mechelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was so much that I liked about this book, but it felt like the author tried to push so many extra things in that did not fit that it was really hard to read.

What I loved:
I love her take on eco-theology/eco-spirituality. Her pulling out agrarian and ecological themes throughout the Scriptures was beautiful and really thought provoking. The exercises she suggests at the end of the chapters were really great ways to engage with the ideas of eco spirituality and go deeper into our own ecological communities.

What I didn’t like:
It felt like she included diverse voices just to say she included diverse voices — even when they did not fit her own assertions. It felt very much like the Native American/Indigenous authors she referenced were in the original form of the book, but the added Liberation theology and Womanist writers felt like an editor said she needed to add more and they were shoved into where they sort of, but not really, fit.

What I really didn’t like:
For everything amazing about the eco spirituality aspect, there were so many instances where the basic facts of church history and theology were either misrepresented or just plain false that I really had a hard time reading this book. Maybe it’s because I studied church history, but I think not knowing the difference between Augustine and Pelagius is a big issue. I get what she was trying to say, but to make assertions that Augustine didn’t believe in grace and Pelagius did is just incorrect. Add to the factual inaccuracies of timeline and what liberation theology actually teaches, and I just had a hard time trusting her conclusions.

Overall, I think it’s an interesting read, albeit one where I had to take the good and leave the bad quite a lot. I feel like if all the unnecessary bits had been left out, she would have had an amazing book, but as is, 3 stars.

[Hayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so grateful to Herald Press and NetGalley for allowing me an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was a great blessing to me to reaffirm through this book that there are, indeed, other people who are motivated to care for the environment, and the creatures who live here with us, by their faith in God.

I grew up feeling ostracized from my church for being counter culture in the same ways. I never had the capitalist mindset and I always believed those who try to follow God’s will should be the most environmentally friendly people in the world. Sarah made me feel seen and encouraged. I underlined so many passages in this book! I loved how she explained the meaning of Sabbath and provided examples of how one might experience God through His creation.

I do have to mention that the e-book was a bit hard to adjust to because it wasn’t formatted properly. I will assume that this will be fixed in the finished version, but it did impact my reading experience just a tiny bit during my reading.

I will be rereading this book and recommending it.
I especially recommend this book to those who are new to the idea of experiencing God through His creation, as Sarah shares lots of great activities that aren’t taught in the traditional churches (but absolutely should be!).

[Melanie Springer Mock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book with some trepidation, mostly because I'm already in despair about the planet and not needing any more bad news. But Werner's book is filled with hope and possibility, and I appreciate her practical ideas about what we can do to live well on our planet.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the idea of environmental theology and the practical suggestions for hope in the face of the climate crisis. Some of the early chapters drug for me, probably in part because I am outdoors a lot already.