Steven Bouma-Prediger - Earthkeeping and Character: Exploring a Christian Ecological Virtue Ethic

I would like to acknowledge with gratitude a number of people who helped me with this book. Their comments, questions, and suggestions improved both its substance and its style. First, my fellow members of the Religion Department at Hope College, in our departmental colloquia, read and discussed various chapters of this book and offered much sound advice. Many thanks to Barry Bandstra, Wayne Brouwer, Angela Carpenter, Jenny Everts, Steve Hoogerwerf, Lynn Japinga, Phil Munoa, Jared Ortiz, Rakesh Peter Dass, Jeff Tyler, and Boyd Wilson. It is a privilege to work with such talented scholars, committed teachers, and supportive colleagues.

And a hearty thank you to all at Hope College whose vision and diligence have made it such a wonderful place to write a book such as thispast presidents Jim Bultman and Dennis Voskuil, former provost Rich Ray and current department chairperson Jeff Tyler, longtime office manager Pamela Valkema and die-hard third shift Lubbers Hall janitor Scott Plaster, to name just a few.

I have had the opportunity to try out various parts of this book at venues all over North America. Thank you to the following for their invitations: Ted Koontz and Janeen Bertsche Johnson at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Markku and Leah Kostamo at A Rocha Canada, Fred Van Dyke and Jon Terry at the Au Sable Institute for Environmental Studies, Darin Davis at Baylor University, Roland Hoksbergen and Matt Heun and Dave Koetje and David Smith and Dave Warners for various events at Calvin College, Matt Bonzo at Cornerstone University, Richard Middleton at Northeastern Seminary, Sid Ypma and Paul Heintzman at the University of Ottawa, Loren Wilkinson at Regent College in Vancouver, BC, Derek McNeil at the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, Mark Liederbach and Seth Bible at Southeastern Baptist Theology Seminary, Richard Kyte at Viterbo University, and Jonathan Moo at Whitworth University. Many peopletoo numerous to mention herehave offered their comments at conferences and gatherings at which I was speaking about some part of this book. Thank you one and all for your kind invitations and the many insights that came from being with you.

A number of brave souls (bless them, good scholar-friends) read the entire manuscript and offered their comments. Special thanks to Steve Hoogerwerf, David Stubbs, and Brian Walsh. This book is much better because of your insightful comments and perceptive questions.

A big thank you to former Hope student Lauren Madison, who served as my research assistant for two summers and whose very fine work has been incorporated into this book, especially in chapter five. My gratitude, also, to many other students whom I have had the privilege to teachat Hope and on other college and university campuses here in North America and in Belize and New Zealand. Your questions and comments on the ideas I develop in this book have, among other things, reminded me of the timeliness of this topic.

The good folks at Baker Academic have once again been a joy to work with. Melisa Blok, Erika Genz, Bob Hosack, Regula Noetzli, and Mason Slater have, each in their own way, helped make the publication of this book possible. And I am sure there are others there whose labors on my behalf I do not know. To all of you at Baker Academic, thank you very much.

As with all my previous books, I owe a debt of gratitude to my wife, Celaine, and my daughters Anna, Chara, and Sophia. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This book is dedicated, with much gratitude, to my mother and in memory of my fatherexemplars of many of the virtues central to the Christian faith. May each of us be inspired by someone we know whose life embodies the dispositions we need in order to be caretakers of Gods good earth.