Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, Vol 7, No 2 (2013)

Let There Be Highlights: A Framing Analysis of The Green Bible

Dennis Owen Frohlich
Issued Date: 8 Aug 2013

Abstract


In 2008, HarperCollins released The Green Bible, a reprint of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible that highlights in green-lettered text all verses purporting to demonstrate God’s concern for the environment. I conducted a framing analysis and criticism examining how the GB frames the Scriptures in terms of the environment and found the following frames present: anti-dominion theology, stewardship, creation care as justice, the importance of the Sabbath, Jesus’ redemption of creation, and the Bible’s usefulness as a guide to green living. I contrasted these frames with the actual green verses highlighted by the GB and found that the environmental frames created by the essayists do not consistently match the highlighted verses. Because of the inconsistent and contradictory nature of the green highlighting, I question the GB as a guide to green living, for both the environmentally conscious and lovers of the Scriptures.

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DOI: 10.1558/jsrnc.v7i2.208

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