For the last several years I’ve been working – in whatever gaps from the daily grind I can find! – on a book exploring the resource crisis from a Christian point of view. More precisely, what I’m trying to do is understand what is going on, and why, and trace the origins of the crisis to particular theological shifts – and therefore recommending certain theological (ie worship) solutions. So it’s not a ‘use less petrol’ sort of book, more a ‘pray more to God’ sort of book, even though it opens with Peak Oil and the Limits to Growth.
I would benefit from a sustained conversation with a professional editor but I haven’t been able to get a UK publisher interested – popular theology isn’t really a commercial proposition in the UK. I thought it might be of interest to people here.
Anyhow, enough preamble send me an e-mail if you want to read it! (I’ve taken down the direct link so that I can do some more work)
I’d be delighted if anyone actually read it and commented 🙂 I’ve had very useful and constructive criticism from some friends already and I’m hoping to have the time to incorporate responses to their insights in the summer.
This is a truly dreadful book. There are no aliens, vampires or car chases and none of the baddies get what is coming to them by being dispatched with extreme prejudice. There is no love interest whatsoever. In fact, there are no babes in this book at all. Really, Sam, you complain that you can’t get a publisher interested but I’m not in the least bit surprised. You need to sex it up and, for goodness sake, give it a happy ending! People don’t want to read about bad news, do they?
Look, I think I know how you can turn this disaster around. I see an oil tanker which collides with another ship carrying nuclear waste. The resulting contaminated slick turns lobsters into giant blood sucking monsters who invade Mersea Island and turn its inhabitants into zombies. Now you will need a hero and here you should draw on your own experiences. I suggest a super hero called The Vicar who, with a direct line to God and some great kick arse karate moves drives the mutant lobsters into the Sizewell B reactor where they get what’s coming to them. The film rights will be snatched up and if we can persuade Scarlett Johansson to play the part of The Vicar’s wife you will end up a very rich man indeed.
I have downloaded it and skimmed the first three chapters. Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this. I will read it all more carefully and offer any suggestions that I can think of.
When I read the Prophets (such as Jeremiah, mentioned in your introduction), I often think “Why doesn’t this scare anyone but me?” I believe that our times are much like his, and that judgment is coming. It is in a different form than the Babylonian army, but no less threatening.
May God grant us repentance and amendment of life. I don’t see it happening, but at least you are giving people the warning. One thinks of Ezekiel 3:17-27.
You should market it as a horror. It scared poor Castanea_d anyway.
I’m really looking forward to reading it when I get a chance in a week or so. Currently travelling.