Remember Creation

review by

Mike Nappa

Remember Creation

by Scott Hoezee

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

“If we are to be lovers of God,” Scott Hoezee declares, “we should want to understand creation and know more and more about it so we can enjoy it even more.”

With this as a recurring theme in his latest book, Remember Creation, Hoezee presents a case for Christian environmentalism, suggesting that caring for our world is a constant requirement for believers. Says Hoezee, “Delighting in and preserving God’s creation should properly be seen as a part of daily discipleship.”

To uphold that view, Hoezee includes many positive elements in Remember Creation.. Among them are Scriptural support of his positions, personal anecdotes, practical ideas, and a heartfelt desire to help Christians reassess their view of our Earth. Most importantly, Hoezee reminds us of God’s delight in creation—a delight we can share.

However, this book isn’t perfect. At times, Hoezee’s attempts to underscore the creation’s importance can seem extreme. For example, he declares “Creation is older than redemption—it is God’s first love.” He also bemoans the idea of indoor nature displays, and castigates Christians who vacation at amusement parks instead of national parks and forests. Additionally, despite Hoezee’s attempts to do otherwise, this book is written much like a college term paper. Unfortunately, that makes for yawning spells of dry reading, even in a book this brief.

Still, Remember Creation does present a theological perspective on Christian conservatism worth thinking about and discussing. Though not for every reader, those interested in theology and the environment will certainly gain plenty of food for thought through this book.