Food, Farming, and Faith

Gary W. Fick

Description

Food, Farming, and Faith looks at agricultural sustainability and Christianity. Using scripture and science, Gary W. Fick—a Christian agricultural scientist—demonstrates that faith can inform decisions about creating, managing, even consuming our food. The book highlights such topics as food and celebration, environmental care, ecology and faith, soil and water stewardship, animal welfare, and the impact of poverty on women and our food supply. Throughout, Fick presents and discusses biblical passages that comment on these areas and provides insight from personal experiences growing up in a ranching family, in teaching sustainable agriculture, and as a scientist. Ultimately, Fick challenges the reader to think about eating more thoughtfully so that we have good food, a healthy environment, and a comfortable lifestyle all at the same time.

Foreword
Preface
Introduction

1. It Is All about Food

Thanksgiving
Other Food Associations
A Matter of Life and Death

2. The Foundation of Stewardship

Motivation
In the Beginning
Biblical Stewardship
Loving What God Loves

3. Ecology in the Bible

Living in the Central Flyway
Holistic Thinking
The Christian Environmentalist
Genesis 1
The Population Problem
Humans and Nature
Biological Diversity and Species Extinction
Other Ecological Issues
Conclusions

4. Land and Climate

The Best Land in the World
Good Land
God's Land
Sabbath Rest for the Land
Then What Should We Do?

5. Soil and Water

Buried Fences
Soil in the Bible
Water
What Is Essential?
Essentials for Soil and Water
Conclusions

6. Crops, Seeds, and Food

Gardening Runs in the Family
Kinds of Crops
Seeds Are the Source
Nurturing the Crop
Harvesting, Storage, and Celebration
The Essentials
Conclusions

7. Livestock and Agriculture

Cowboy Days
Are Livestock Really Good for Us and the Environment?
Livestock in the Ancient Writings
Other Aspects of Animal Welfare
Economic and Religious Factors
The Essentials
Conclusions

8. Farming Systems and the Practices of Agriculture

A Good Mentor
Systems Thinking
Soil Tillage
Nutrient Management
The Wisdom for Farming
Soil Tillage in the Bible
Nutrient Management in the Bible
The Essentials
Conclusions

9. The Culture of Agriculture

Teaching and Learning
Farmers in the Beginning
Land Tenure
Labor and Financial Matters
Food and Culture
Ethics and Morality
The Essentials
Conclusions

10. Abuse, Poverty, and Women

Poverty, Women, and Agriculture
A Personal View of Poverty
Proverbs on Poverty
The Abuse of Women
What Is Essential Here?

11. Food, Starvation, Obesity, and Diet

The Idealism of Youth
Hunger and Starvation
Obesity
The Biblical Diet
A Different Model of Food Production
Change

12. Agricultural Sustainability

Complex Concepts of Agricultural Sustainability
Metaphors of Agriculture
Simple Facts

Appendix 1 Abbreviations and Citation of Books in the Bible
Appendix 2 An Overview of the Bible
Appendix 3 The Essentials of Agriculture

Notes
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Engineering & Technology
• Environmental science

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 24 avril 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791478554
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Food, Farming, and Faith

SUNY series on Religion and the Environment Harold Coward, Editor

Food, Farming, and Faith

Gary W. Fick

S U N Y P TATE NIVERSITY OF EW ORK RESS

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are fromThe Holy Bible, English Standard Ver- sion, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version. It was first published in 1611 and is in the public domain in the United States.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from theNew American Standard ® Bible , copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (http://www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from theHoly Bible, New Living ® Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois, 60189. All rights reserved.

® Scripture quotations marked (NLV) are taken from theHoly Bible, New Life Version, copyright © 1969, 1976, 1978, 1983, and 1986, Christian Literature International, P.O. Box 777, Canby, OR, 97013. Used by permission.

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2008 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY www.sunypress.edu

Production by Diane Ganeles Marketing by Susan M. Petrie

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Fick, Gary W. Food, farming, and faith / Gary W. Fick. p. cm. — (SUNY series on religion and the environment) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7914-7383-2 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-7914-7384-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Food—Religious aspects—Christianity. 2. Food habits. 3. Dinners and dining—Religious aspects—Christianity. 4. Agriculture—Religious aspects— Christianity. 5. Human ecology—Religious aspects—Christianity. I. Title.

BR115.N87F53 2008 261.5’6—dc22

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2007025403

To my dad, Walter Fick Sr. (1914–2004), the man who taught me to remember the land and the farmer when we thank God for our food.

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Foreword Preface Introduction

1 Contents

1. It Is All about Food Thanksgiving Other Food Associations A Matter of Life and Death

2. The Foundation of Stewardship Motivation In the Beginning Biblical Stewardship Loving What God Loves

3. Ecology in the Bible Living in the Central Flyway Holistic Thinking The Christian Environmentalist Genesis 1 The Population Problem Humans and Nature Biological Diversity and Species Extinction Other Ecological Issues Conclusions

xi xv 1

7 8 10 13

15 15 17 21 25

29 29 31 32 33 36 37 39 41 42

viii

Contents

4. Land and Climate The Best Land in the World Good Land God's Land Sabbath Rest for the Land Then What Should We Do?

5. Soil and Water Buried Fences Soil in the Bible Water What Is Essential? Essentials for Soil and Water Conclusions

6. Crops, Seeds, and Food Gardening Runs in the Family Kinds of Crops Seeds Are the Source Nurturing the Crop Harvesting, Storage, and Celebration The Essentials Conclusions

7. Livestock and Agriculture Cowboy Days Are Livestock Really Good for Us and the Environment? Livestock in the Ancient Writings Other Aspects of Animal Welfare Economic and Religious Factors The Essentials Conclusions

8. Farming Systems and the Practices of Agriculture A Good Mentor Systems Thinking

43 43 45 46 51 53

57 57 59 61 63 65 67

69 69 71 73 75 78 80 82

85 85

88 91 92 94 97 99

101 101 103

Contents

Soil Tillage Nutrient Management The Wisdom for Farming Soil Tillage in the Bible Nutrient Management in the Bible The Essentials Conclusions

9. The Culture of Agriculture Teaching and Learning Farmers in the Beginning Land Tenure Labor and Financial Matters Food and Culture Ethics and Morality The Essentials Conclusions

10. Abuse, Poverty, and Women Poverty, Women, and Agriculture A Personal View of Poverty Proverbs on Poverty The Abuse of Women What Is Essential Here?

11. Food, Starvation, Obesity, and Diet The Idealism of Youth Hunger and Starvation Obesity The Biblical Diet A Different Model of Food Production Change

12. Agricultural Sustainability Complex Concepts of Agricultural Sustainability Metaphors of Agriculture Simple Facts

ix

104 106 108 110 111 112 114

115 115 117 119 122 124 125 126 127

129 130 131 133 144 148

151 151 153 155 158 163 164

165 166 170 174