Partners with PBS to present “Is God Green?”
SEATTLE, WA – Environmentalists and their politically progressive allies have long dismissed conservative evangelical Christians as repressive moralists and industry apologists. The suspicion and hostility are mutual: evangelicals see environmentalists as godless, anti-human pagans and socialists.
Not exactly a match made in heaven.
But relations are slowly thawing—in part thanks to, well, thawing. As glaciers and ice shelves melt, the existential danger posed by global warming has become impossible to ignore. Haltingly and sporadically, the two communities are beginning to interact. Nothing better dissolves suspicion and hostility than sweating together in the dirt.
This wary courtship is a source of hope, but also a source of questions: Can two communities with so much to divide them work in concert? Will creation care move beyond the pews and into the halls of power? Are Christian ethics in tension with ecological ethics? How will this fledgling strain of evangelical conservation relate to other religious movements with longer traditions of environmental activism? Can environmentalists learn to speak the language of faith—and even feel its power in their own work and lives?
Grist will explore these questions and many more over the coming weeks, gathering insight from:
- legendary journalist Bill Moyers
- eminent biologist E.O. Wilson
- environmental journalist Bill McKibben
- noted evangelical writers and thinkers, and others
Grist is also partnering with PBS to spread word about a new hour-long TV special hosted by Moyers: Is God Green?, airing Wed. Oct. 11, 2006, which examines the new strain of eco-friendly evangelicalism. (Watch an exclusive preview.)
About Grist
The nonprofit, independent, online magazine Grist was founded in April 1999, and over the past seven years has developed the most recognizable voice in environmental journalism: funny, opinionated, and intelligent. Grist offers in-depth reporting, opinions, book reviews, advice, and a popular blog—all tailored to inform, entertain, provoke, and encourage its readers to think creatively about environmental problems and solutions.
Each month, Grist reaches nearly 750,000 unique individuals through its website and emails, and it has enjoyed particular success among readers in their 20s and 30s. Through syndication arrangements with other media outlets like MSNBC.com and Salon.com, Grist is reaching an even broader audience that extends into the millions. Grist has been featured in Vanity Fair, the New York Times, Newsweek, and dozens of other national publications. Grist earned Webby™ People’s Voice awards in both 2005 and 2006 as the internet’s best magazine.
