Good News for All Creation: Vegetarianism as Christian Stewardship

by Stephen R. Kaufman, Nathan Braun

Christians believe that we are called to honor and serve God. Kaufman and Braun assert that moving toward a plant-based diet is a faithful way to serve God, because a plant-based diet helps avoid damage to God's earth, depletion of scarce resources, abuse of God's animals, squandering of food needed by the world's poor and hungry people, and harm to our bodies. This book is a primer for Christian vegetarians. It reviews the religious and secular bases for vegetarianism, and it provides practical advice on activism and on dealing with family and friends.

Genres: Theology

104 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Susan B · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book does achieve its intended objective, which is to help the reader understand why being vegetarian or vegan is the Christian choice. While acknowledging that some (a very few) Christians may need meat, the authors assert that most of us do not, and that living a vegetarian/vegan diet is an expression of God's love, mercy, and grace. It is part of a holistic testimony if you will.

The authors point out that a carnivorous diet is less healthy, that farming practices deplete resources that could be shared with those living in underdeveloped countries, that animals raised for slaughter live in horrific conditions and are cruelly treated, and that a vegan/ vegetarian diet is able to meet all of our nutritional needs. Jesus would no doubt be vegan/vegetarian if he were living in our world today.

Kaufman and Braun also offer rational arguments to rebut family and friends who may question the vegan/vegetarian choice, and list organizations, books, and websites that may be of some assistance. I think it is Braun who also founded the Christian Vegetarian Association.

The book is a good starting point for those who want to understand a Christian view on the subject. The reason I only give it two stars is because of the writing style. Though published in 2001, the speech/tone could easily be associated with the 1950s, and this was a real impediment for me as a reader. Also, many of the websites would be outdated now, and more current resources are available for those who want to do further research.

[Agnes M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but good concise read that appeals to Christian values for supporting vegetarianism. The appendix on nutrition will be especially helpful to those who worry about protein and iron intake as will the appendix on how to respond to people's challenges of vegetarianism.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super cool premise for a book, makes a pretty good case for vegetarian lifestyle but written sort of poorly. Was confusing at times and felt more like a college / high school student paper. Not like I could have written it better, just was expecting a little more from a published work.

[Heather Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick and easy read that lays out the scriptural support for adopting a vegetarian diet.