Home Podcast Sandra Richter: When the Environment Suffers, So Do Widows and Orphans

Sandra Richter: When the Environment Suffers, So Do Widows and Orphans

sandra richter

Dr. Sandra Richter is an author, theologian, and longtime professor of biblical studies who has taught at several respected seminaries and colleges. She is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and earned her doctorate from Harvard University. A veteran of leading student groups in archaeological excavation and historical geography classes in Israel, Dr. Richter is an expert in environmental theology and has written several books. Her latest is entitled, Stewards of Eden: What Scriptures Says About the Environment and Why It Matters.

Key Questions for Dr. Sandra Richter

-Why do some people believe you cannot be a Christ-follower and an environmentalist?

-Has there ever been a time when caring for the creation has not been tied to a political agenda in the U.S.?

-Can you explain why the fact that God gave us creation does not mean we can use it however we would like?

-How can pastors guide their communities to be better stewards of the environment?

Key Quotes from Dr. Sandra Richter

“In the States, it seems to me that environmentalism has been pigeonholed into a particular political profile.”

“Because environmentalism has become more of a Democratic issue in our political system, it’s become guilty by association. And so if you’re going to be an environmentalist, that means you have to be a left-wing liberal and, of course, that’s not what Christians are.”

“As Americans, especially, we don’t see the impact of environmental degradation…We export a lot of our environmental problems. And so we don’t see or smell the Ganges River that the United Nations has declared a dead river system.”

“We see life through our own lens and not through the Almighty’s lens, and we’re constantly caught in that conflict. I think that’s the nature of sin.”

“When we take this issue all the way back to the great blueprint of Genesis 1 and 2, we see that humanity was designed to protect and defend, not to exploit and abuse.”

“Unfortunately, most [awareness about caring for the environment] came into the arena as a threat to the average man’s job.”

“The people who suffered the most from environmental degradation were the widow, the orphan and the farmer. The widow, the orphan and the farmer are the people who get hit first and whose economic stability is wiped out.” 

“We all know that the widow and the orphan get top billing in the Mosaic Covenant and then James picks it up in the New Covenant as well…So who are the widow and the orphan?”

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Jason serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at PastorServe, a ministry committed to strengthening the Church by serving pastors through personal coaching and church consulting. He also hosts FrontStage BackStage, a podcast and YouTube show, that helps pastors embrace healthy, well-balanced leadership as they develop a sustainable rhythm for life and ministry. Prior to joining the PastorServe team, Jason served as Vice President of Ministry Mobilization at Outreach, Inc., and as the Executive Director of the National Back to Church Sunday movement. Additionally, Jason served for nearly two decades in pastoral leadership, primarily as a lead pastor, in several contexts, including church plant re-launch, multisite church, multiethnic urban church, and an established suburban church. His experience as a lead pastor has provided numerous opportunities to coach and mentor pastors across the country. Jason and his beautiful wife, Monica, are the proud parents of six children and live on Anastasia Island, Florida. @jasondaye