Stephen Dumbar, L. James Gibson, and Humberto M. Rasi, eds. Entrusted: Christians and Environmental Care. Argentina: Adventus, 2013. x + 286 pp. US$19.95.

How should Bible-believing Christians respond to environmental degradation? Entrusted, with its twenty-three chapters, is a response to this fundamental question. The book is a compilation of papers from an international group of Adventist educators, environmentalists, ethicists, researchers, theologians, and scientists. All of them share the conviction that “Christianity, properly understood, includes a mandate from the Creator to care for the ecosphere and that this responsibility involves a balance between preservation and consumption that requires setting priorities” (p. ix).

The book is organized into three sections. Section one, “Christians and the Environment,” offers biblical basis for environmental stewardship from creation to new creation (chaps. 1-6). The authors focus on God’s care for the environment and the responsibility placed upon humans as caretakers of the planet’s ecosphere. Humans are to maximize, utilize, and conserve the resources of nature which the Lord has placed in their care. Section two, “Animal and Environmental Ethics,” outlines ethical principles that should guide human relations with animals in general, in research, in the livestock industry, and in genetic manipulation (chaps. 7-10). Section three, “Human Health and the Environment,” explores the biblical perspective on the connection between the environment and human health as well as the impact of ecosystems and biodiversity on human health (chaps. 11-13). The fourth section, “Biodiversity and Conservation Strategies,” discusses the value of the ecosystem, the consequences of today’s building practices on the natural environment, and the primary anthropogenic causes of species extinctions and biodiversity loss (chaps. 14-17). Section five, “Environmental Education,” serves to educate society in practical terms on the need and viability of environmental care and conservation (chaps. 18-22). The last chapter of the book, “What Do Adventists Have to Say to the World About Environmental Stewardship?” brings together the major conclusions of the preceding chapters and then sums up,

Seventh-day Adventists recognize and support the Scriptural call to environmental care. Adventists engage creation care in multiple ways and at both individual and corporate levels. Can the Adventist Church do more to promote creation care? We believe the answer is ‘yes’, and the time to do so is now. We need to increase discourse among ourselves and with others who share our concerns and goals. We need to support those who undertake worthwhile projects that advance environmental education and conservation management. We need to take advantage of the effective witness creation care can serve, incorporating it more effectively with other Adventist messages including health, education, and evangelism (pp. 260-261).

Entrusted appeals to both general and scholarly readers. The chapters are concise, readable, original, and carefully written. In unison, the authors impress upon the reader the deep conviction that environmental care is a God-given responsibility. Entrusted has certainly achieved its purpose as a resource book for teachers, students, thoughtful Christians, and concerned citizens who are seeking a Christian perspective on environmental care and conservation.