Pollution and the Death of Man- Book Review

Tim Challies (uber christian blogger) has written a very good review of Francis Schaeffer's "Pollution and the Death of Man". It makes sense, given our culture's current obsession with the environment. As a fan of Schaeffer, I thought I'd take a look. Challies has some great insights into the book, among them are:

He launches into what I’d consider classic Schaefferian thought: “Pantheism,” he says, “will be pressed as the only answer to ecological problems and will be one more influence in the West’s becoming increasingly Eastern in its thinking.”

“The only reason we are called upon to treat nature well is because of its effects on man and our children and the generations to come. So in reality…man is left with a completely egoistic position in regard to nature.” “Having no absolutes, modern man has no categories. One cannot have real answers without categories, and these men can have no categories beyond pragmatic, technological ones.” “A pantheistic stand always brings man to an impersonal and low place rather than elevating him.” In the end, pantheism pushes both man and nature into a kind of bog, leaving us unable to make any kind of necessary and rational distinctions.

He affirms that our understanding must begin with the world’s creation when God created things that have an objective existence in themselves. Despite the claims of pantheism, creation is not an extension of God’s essence. It is only the biblical view that gives worth to man and to all that God has created. Nature begins to look different when I understand that, though I am separate from it, I am related to it as something God has created. “So the Christian treats ‘things’ with integrity because we do not believe they are autonomous. Modern man has fallen into a dilemma because he has made things autonomous from God.” As we love the Creator, we love the creation.

Over all a great review. I didn't even give you some of the best parts. I will leave you with what one thoughtful commentator said about the article:

Thanks for the article - this is a great book. You can’t “love your neighbor as yourself” by polluting their air, water and land!