The Scholars, or Team Purple, include those who engage with creation care through scholarship: intellectual, theological understandings of creation care.
Some might be interested in hearing and understanding the philosophical and intellectual ideas of creation care, including land sustainability, use of chemicals and pollution, species protection, global racism and the impact on the Global South, and climate change. This group may bring in speakers, panels, discussion groups, or read books or view movies for discussion.
Scroll down for info on current and upcoming book and film studies, and to sign up for a mailing list to get the Zoom link for upcoming meetings!
Read a Book in November
Join us in reading the book The God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom by Andrew Peterson! We’ll have an ongoing discussion on our Team Purple Facebook group through November and until the next time we meet in person at the end of December. At that time, we’ll finish up any remaining discussion of this November book that we didn’t cover in the Facebook group, plus we’ll discuss December’s book. (Sign up here to be added to the Team Purple email list to receive the Zoom link to attend the December and future book/film studies.)
Here’s an overview from thriftbooks.com:
“There’s a strong biblical connection between people and trees. They both come from dirt. They’re both told to bear fruit. In fact, arboreal language is so often applied to humans that it’s easy to miss, whether we’re talking about family trees, passing along our seed, cutting someone off like a branch, being rooted to a place, or bearing the fruit of the Spirit. It’s hard to deny that trees mean something, theologically speaking. This book is in many ways a memoir, but it’s also an attempt to wake up the reader to the glory of God shining through his creation.
One of the first commands to Adam and Eve was to “work and keep” the garden. Award-winning author and songwriter Andrew Peterson, being as honest as possible, shares a story of childhood, grief, redemption, and peace, by walking through a forest of memories: “I trust that by telling my story, you’ll encounter yours. Hopefully, like me, you’ll see that the God of the Garden is and has always been present, working and keeping what he loves.” Sometimes he plants, sometimes he prunes, but in his goodness he intends to reap a harvest of righteousness.”
Have you joined our Team Purple Facebook group yet?
Sign up for the Team Purple email list, and you’ll receive the Zoom link for notification of future upcoming meetings when they become available!

Book Study – Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Join us for a Team Purple book study, where we’ll spend time discussing both the November book, The God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom by Andrew Peterson, and A User-friendly Universe? Spiritual Speeches in an Academic Context by Clifford Chalmers Cain! We’ll meet in person in the FBC Sojourners Room as well as virtually on Zoom. (Sign up here to be added to the Team Purple email list to receive the Zoom link to attend this and future book/film studies.)
Here’s an overview from thriftbooks.com:
“This book was written for Christian laypersons who want to think about their faith and be given creative and relevant suggestions about what it means to attempt authentic Christian living in today’s world, and for religious professionals who want or need to reflect on various topics and issues of the Christian faith journey and desire mental stimulation and spiritual inspiration regarding them. The Rev. Dr. Cliff Cain, Harrod-C.S. Lewis Professor of Religious Studies at Westminster College, provides a compelling response to the question, Can God be an effective and reliant participant in a user-friendly 21st century universe? This book is current, intellectually stimulating, and offers a multigenerational perspective to age-old questions that demand answers that enable deeper understanding. Set aside the time to read this marvelous book!” —Benjamin Ola. Akande, Ph.D. President, Westminster College
Have you joined our Team Purple Facebook group yet?
Sign up for the Team Purple email list, and you’ll receive the Zoom link for this and notification of future upcoming meetings when they become available!
